NASSAU, The Bahamas -- Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration the Hon. Frederick A. Mitchell (right) and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs the Hon. César R. Dargam Espaillat shake hands after signing the Basic Agreement on Technical Cooperation Between the Governments of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, on July 24, 2014, at the MInistry of Foreign Affairs in The Bahamas, on Cable Beach. (BIS Photo / Eric Rose)

Nassau, The Bahamas—On 24th  July 2014, The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Dominican Republic took an important step forward in strengthening their relations by signing The Bahamas-Dominican Republic Basic Agreement on Technical Cooperation.

This Agreement forms an umbrella that will facilitate and enhance trade and commercial cooperation, academic exchanges and other similar projects of mutual interest technical cooperation between their governments through specific projects of mutual interest, in addition to the objectives that contribute to the economic and social benefit of both nations.

The signing of this Agreement will come into force on the first day of the month following the date in which the parties convey to each other that they have completed their domestic requirements through diplomatic channels.

The Agreement will also address the issue of illegal fishing and poaching in Bahamian waters.

Remarks by the Hon. Frederick A. Mitchell at the signing of the Basic Agreement on Technical Cooperation Between the Governments of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Dominican Republic on 24th July, 2014.

Over the years, The Bahamas and the Dominican Republic have engaged in friendly talks as neighbours with both countries realising the importance of continued cordial relations. It is this realisation that we seek to sign agreements that would govern not only the interaction of Government to Government but also the interaction of our people through cultural exchanges, sports, trade and investment. However, two critical matters of interaction between the Governments of The Bahamas and the Dominican Republic are illegal fishing and illegal migration, with the need to stop illegal fishing being a matter of high interest for both countries.

The Basic Agreement on Technical Cooperation will speak to the matters of illegal fishing and migration, but apart from these two matters, it will also facilitate technical cooperation through the promotion of commerce and investment, exchange of experts and specialised delegations for social programmes, with provisions for scholarships and training courses in the fields of interest. These areas of interest would be discussed with the purpose for implementation by the establishment of a Joint Commission for Technical Cooperation between The Bahamas and the Dominican Republic that will meet every year alternating between both countries. This Agreement is the first of others and we envisage that in the months ahead we will sign an Agreement between the Navies of both countries, a Navy-to-Navy Agreement, that will standardise the interaction of both Navies and the sharing of efforts by each of them to put a stop to illegal fishing and migration.

The signing of this Agreement will come into force on the first day of the month following the date in which the parties conveys to the other that they have completed their domestic requirements through diplomatic channels and will prove to be the start of further dialogue between both countries in pursuit of deepening relations and cooperation that will lend to a brighter and better future for the development of both countries.

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