On Thursday, September 6, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman met with Bahamian officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to launch a bilateral dialogue on counter piracy cooperation in cases involving Bahamian flag vessels. Also participating in the discussions to address international piracy were two of the U.S. Department of States’ leading experts on counter piracy and maritime security; the Coordinator of Counter Piracy and Maritime Security, Ms. Donna L. Hopkins and Attorney-Advisor, Ms. Alexis R. Blane. U.S.
Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman commended The Bahamas government for hosting the bilateral meetings that provided U.S. and Bahamian officials with an opportunity to share information on a critical security issue given the role that The Bahamas plays as a maritime nation with the fifth largest ship registry in the world. “The Bahamas is acutely aware of the risks and costs of piracy and has a vested interest in joining global efforts to stop piracy wherever it occurs,” the U.S. Chargé said.
“In fact, The Bahamas was active early on in international counter piracy efforts including being one of the first members of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.” The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, known as the CGPCS, was created to coordinate and expand international counter-piracy efforts and is actively working with other international organizations like the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to support efforts to develop regional maritime security capacity.
The Chargé reiterated that the U.S. will continue to work with partner nations like The Bahamas to connect law enforcement communities, intelligence agencies, financial experts, and international partners to promote information sharing and develop information that can be used to prosecute pirate conspirators and disrupt their operations.
