U.A.E. Foreign Minister H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has met with Perry Christie, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, in the capital, Nassau.
During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah conveyed the regards of the Vice President and Prime Minister of the U.A.E. and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the U.A.E. Armed Forces, to the prime minister, as well as their good wishes for further progress and prosperity for the people of The Bahamas.
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah emphasised the importance of exchanging visits between officials within the framework of the desire of the leaderships of the two countries to further strengthen friendly ties in all fields to serve mutual interests.
For his part, the Bahamian prime minister asked Sheikh Abdullah to convey his greetings to the U.A.E. leaders, along with his best wishes for further progress and prosperity for the U.A.E., noting that his country was eager to strengthen its relations with the U.A.E. Welcoming Sheikh Abdullah and his accompanying delegation, Christie expressed his admiration for the economic development being made by the U.A.E and expressed his wish for further progress in the existing bilateral links.
During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the bilateral relations and adequate means to enhance joint cooperation, particularly in economic, investment and renewable energy. Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the decision to open a Consulate General for The Bahamas in Dubai and also thanked The Bahamas for its support for the U.A.E. bid to host the World Expo 2020 in Dubai.
Frederick Mitchell, the Bahamian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Ryan Pinder, the Minister of Financial Services, Jerome Fitzgerald, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, and Kenred Dorsett, the Minister of Environment and Housing, attended the meeting.
In 3rd May 2011, the U.A.E. and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas signed a joint statement on establishment of formal diplomatic ties at ambassadorial level. In the statement, the two countries stressed their mutual desire to promote mutual understanding and to strengthen cooperation in political, economic, social, humanitarian, cultural and scientific fields, in conformity with the principles and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations and the norms of international law.
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is an island country consisting of more than 700 islands, in the Atlantic Ocean; north of Cuba; southeast of the U.S. state of Florida and east of the Florida Keys. The group of West Indies islands, which spanned 13,878 square kilometres, attained its independence from Britain in 1973. Politically, the Bahamas follows the constitutional, democratic, parliamentary system and is member of the UN, the Caribbean Community and the Organisation of American States.
With a sustainable and stable economy, it derives 60% of its GDP from tourism while the remaining share is generated by offshore banking services and manufacturing industries.
Source : WAM News Agency for United Arab Emirates
