The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to advise that the newly appointed Secretary-General (SG) of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), His Excellency Rodolfo Sabonge, paid a virtual courtesy call on the Hon. Darren A. Henfield, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, this morning, 23 November 2020.

The Minister and SG discussed the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic for the ACS, The Bahamas and the region, particularly as it relates to tourism and travel. They acknowledged the opportunities presented by the pandemic for the use of technology in the continuation of work and participation in international meetings by virtual means, which has saved governments on the cost of travel.

The Minister congratulated Mr Sabonge on his appointment as the Seventh (7th) Secretary-General of the ACS and expressed his confidence that the SG will continue to strengthen the Organization and its ties to CARICOM and the region. Minister Henfield thanked the SG for the support of the Association in the aftermath of Dorian and assured The Bahamas’ continued support of the ACS. He noted that The Bahamas continues to meet its obligations to the Association despite the challenges of Dorian and the pandemic.

An engineer by profession, Mr Sabonge is an expert in Strategic Foresight, Market Research, and Competitive Intelligence in logistics, transportation, maritime development, and ports. SG Sabonge led the areas of Planning, Marketing, and Business Development of the Panama Canal Authority for more than 15 years. He was instrumental in leading the transition planning of the transfer of the Canal from the U.S. to the Panamanian Government, and later led the demand, market, and economic impact studies that justified the expansion of the Panama Canal.