Here follows a joint statement from the Foreign Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Fred Mitchell and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan:

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates met in Abu Dhabi March 8, 2016.  After a round of fruitful discussions, they agreed to the following:

• to deepen the bonds and ties of friendship and understanding between their peoples and to build significant cultural, economic, educational and social opportunities and exchanges between the parties;

• to recognise the necessity of further developing friendly relations and agreements between the two countries, to realize the joint desire for cooperative economic, cultural and social exchanges and appreciation for the unique heritage of the peoples of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the United Arab Emirates;

• that the two countries would in the near future undertake a number of agreements evidencing commitment to economic cooperation and meaningful friendship;

• acknowledge that the proposed agreements will result in enhanced opportunities between the Parties which will inure to the benefit of their peoples and will be a strong demonstration of their commitment to one another;

• reaffirm that both governments would work towards strengthening their cooperation to include strategic objectives such as job creation, investment, social development and tourism, and would memorialize their joint commitment in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding;

• to meet at a mutually convenient date to continue their dialogue.