New York, 23 September 2017. Fragment from the statement delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas, Hon. Darren Henfield, during the general debate of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly.
"One of the countries immediately affected by Hurricane Irma was the Republic of Cuba, which, as on previous occasions, caused this massive hurricane to lose some of its energy and probably led to a lesser impact on our neighbour, the United States of America. All developing countries affected have been placed on a short-list for assistance to shore up their internal conditions towards recovery.
Cuba does not enjoy this capacity to the fullest. The Bahamas joins other nations in calling for the Congress of the United States to reconsider the legislative barriers to the biggest of the Caribbean islands in order for it to develop to its fullest potential as a member of the international community".