Major Tri-Lateral Meeting next as TCI Nat’l Security Chairs in Bahamas for High-Level Talks

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

Security meetings in the Bahamas are well underway as the TCI delegation consisting of the Nigel Dakin, Governor and Washington Misick, Premier, who co-chair the National Security Council and several others have already had several crucial sit-downs with top leaders from The Bahamas and United Kingdom.

The mission started with sessions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where there was a meeting with Fred Mitchell, Minister and his team to discuss Border Security, Informal Settlements and the perplexing challenges in nearby Haiti; that happened on Monday morning.

Another key member of The Bahamas Cabinet, Wayne Munroe, who is the Minister of National Security and his Permanent Secretary Cheryl Darville, hosted a lunch meeting.

Before both meetings, a courtesy call was paid to Phillip Davis, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister who has responsibility for Tourism, Investment and Aviation.

Magnetic Media learned that the Turks and Caicos high ranking delegation arrived in Nassau since Sunday; however by Wednesday they were successfully making key rounds including a courtesy call paid on the Governor General of The Bahamas,  His Excellency, Cornelius A. Smith.

The UK Ambassador to The Bahamas was also visited; Tom Hartley is the British High Commissioner.

The Royal Bahamas Defense Force Base was next, explained the Governor on social media.

A tour of the Defense Force based located in Coral Harbour allowed the two security chiefs for TCI, to view firsthand the fleet of ships, training areas and technology used for guarding Bahamian borders.

The Defence Force has long been a direct partner as a year ago, TCI signed a Ship Rider Agreement with the RBDF which has opened the door to cross training and deployments which, among other things enables arrests in TCI waters by Turks and Caicos officers on Bahamian vessels.

This initial security agreement, in recent months has been broadened to include domestic security with the stationing of 24 members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Bahamas has been instrumental in crime fighting in the Turks and Caicos.

It is also expected that the Turks and Caicos national security team will meet with a US contingent for a tri-lateral caucus aimed at deepening security connections.

Included in the sizable delegation are Senior Police, the TCI Regiment and National Security Secretariat officials.

Bahamian police officers continue to be embedded in the Royal TCI Police Force, having been sworn in as Special Constables and intelligence sharing with the US is in play as well.

Aircraft from the US has been visible in the crime fighting effort, working in tandem with British Military helicopter reconnaissance right into November.

Add to this, the shocking interception of a firearms shipment from the US to the Turks and Caicos; illegal cargo which resulted, according to TCI Police and the Governor, in several arrests.

There were also sessions with the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Michael Pintard, the Leader of  the Opposition.  More informally, members of the TCI delegation have also had an opportunity to dialogue with proud group of professionals, a part of the Turks and Caicos diaspora living in New Providence.