Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the

Commonwealth of The Bahamas

and Ukraine

The Permanent Mission of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the United Nations is pleased to announce that on Saturday, 27 September 2003, in New York City, the Hon. Frederick A. Mitchell, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service, signed a Joint Communiqué establishing formal diplomatic and consular relations with Ukraine. 

The Joint Communiqué, which was also signed on behalf of Ukraine by HE Mr. Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, Minister of Foreign Affairs, states that the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and Ukraine, desiring to develop relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in the internal affairs in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, and expressing their commitment to develop bilateral relations in the fields of interest to both countries, have decided to establish diplomatic relations at the Ambassadorial level as of 27 September 2003.

Diplomatic and Consular relations with Ukraine would be governed under the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Ukraine is situated in Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia.  It borders also Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Romania, and Slovakia. It is a founding country of the United Nations, and one of the larger republics that formerly made up the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

The establishment of formal relations with Ukraine is a part of the Bahamas Government’s long-term foreign policy of fostering closer partnerships with strategic countries in all corners of the globe.  The Bahamas looks forward to closer collaboration with Ukraine, not only on a bilateral basis, but also in the United Nations and other multilateral arena.

27^th September 2003, New York