NASSAU, Bahamas - The Bahamas will give "the utmost consideration" to the United Mexican States candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2009-2010, as both countries pledged renewed support on diplomatic levels, Governor General, His Excellency Arthur Hanna said Thursday.

The commitment was made as the Governor General accepted Letters of Credence presented by Her Excellency Rosaura Leonora Rueda Gutierrez, Ambassador of the United Mexican States to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in a ceremony at Government House.

The Governor General expressed "warmest thanks" to Mexican President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa for renewing Mexico’s commitment to the further strengthening of relations between both countries.

"The establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries three decades ago was predicated upon our mutual desire to forge closer and friendlier ties and to uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter of the Organisation of American States," the Governor General said. "This cooperation is a benchmark for developing and strengthening our bilateral relations."

Mexico is being viewed as an emerging global power and in this vein; the Governor General said The Bahamas welcomes its awareness of the importance of multilaterism.

"We welcome especially, the call for the consolidation of multilaterism in objective institutions such as the United Nations," he said. "This is significant because the United Nations deals with both issues of common international significance as well as threats to peaceful and progressive co-existence."

The Governor General said of importance to The Bahamas is Mexico’s stated commitment as a member of the Organsiation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to ensuring that the OECD’s regulations follow principles in a "fair, just and equitable environment for all."

He also relayed The Bahamas’ appreciation to Mexico for assistance in the educational, technical, scientific and cultural areas in collaboration with both the public and private sectors.

The Governor General told the Mexican Ambassador that given her background in international economic relations, her tenure will mark "a sound, expanded mutually beneficial partnership between both countries."

Ambassador Rueda-Gutierrez, 52, is a career diplomat and has worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico since 1974. She is also the Ambassador of Mexico to Jamaica.

She said Mexico shares with The Bahamas the commitment to consolidate multilaterism and the United Nations organisation as the priviledged forum for the settlement of disputes, the promotion of cooperation and development to achieve the Millennium Development Goals for the joint solution to face the world and regional challenges.

"Promoting the common goals of peace, the values of democracy, respect for the rule of law, human rights and freedoms, international cooperation, the fight against poverty, the search of sustainable development as well as the regional integration are some of the important coincidences between our nations," Ambassador Rueda-Gutierrez said.

She said that both countries could enhance their shared interest, dialogue and efforts in areas such as reform to the UN Security Council, climate change, and the fight against drugs. She also commended The Bahamas for ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-ban Treaty last November.

"My Government has instructed me to reiterate its readiness to meet cooperation requirements from the Government of the Bahamas, both in technical and scientific as well as in the cultural and educational levels," Ambassador Rueda-Gutierrez said.