The Bahamas Receives Visit from High-Level Government Officials from the Kingdom of Lesotho

From L-R: Honourable Lejone Mpotjoane, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations; the Honourable Justice Nthomeng Majara, Deputy Prime Minister; Lesotho’s candidate to for the post of Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr. Joshua Phoho Setipa; the Acting Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Glenys Hanna Martin, and the Minister of Economic Affairs, Senator the Honourable Michael Halkitis.

On Friday, 10^th May 2024, a delegation led by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Honourable Justice Nthomeng Majara paid a courtesy call on the Acting Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Glenys Hanna Martin, and the Minister of Economic Affairs, Senator the Honourable Michael Halkitis, to seek The Bahamas’ support for Lesotho’s candidate to the post of Commonwealth Secretary-General and to discuss strengthening bilateral relations with The Bahamas.

Deputy Prime Minister Majara was accompanied by Lesotho’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, the Honourable Lejone Mpotjoane; Lesotho’s candidate to the post of Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr. Joshua Phoho Setipa; and senior staff from Lesotho’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, both sides discussed areas of mutual interest that could be further explored, which include, inter alia, agriculture, renewable energy, climate change, and food security.

Elections for the post of Secretary-General will be held during the 27th Meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), in Samoa from 21^st to 26^th October 2024. This CHOGM, which will be held under the theme: “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth”, is the first to be held in a Pacific small island developing state (SIDS).

As The Bahamas’ number one foreign policy priority is climate change, the country looks forward to the policy outcomes of CHOGM 2024 and hopes that it prioritizes environmental and economic resilience. The Bahamas’ efforts to realize climate and economic resilience are evident through its policies to protect its environment and natural resources; actions to further advance its carbon credit scheme; and many other concerted efforts with its bilateral and multilateral partners.

The Bahamas and Lesotho maintains a good working relationship within the Commonwealth and the United Nations.