British Caribbean Minister meets Prime Minister Philip Davis KC in The Bahamas as the two countries strengthen trade ties

• Baroness Chapman to visit The Bahamas as part of her first visit to the Western Caribbean
• Minister meeting with Prime Minister Philip Davis KC to discuss bilateral relations, education, climate change, regional security, and trade.

The UK Minister for the Caribbean, Baroness Chapman visited The Bahamas this week.

While in Nassau, the Minister met Prime Minister Philip Davis KC to discuss formally our bilateral partnership, and our shared priority of growing our economies, empowering our young people, and fighting the climate and nature crises. The Minister and Prime Minister discussed a series of new trade deals between the UK and The Bahamas, backed by UK Export Finance, that will be announced very soon.  

In a demonstration of the growing UK-Bahamas trade relationship, Baroness Chapman was also able to announce that Amey PLC,Ltd, the firm behind construction of the M1 and the rebuildingpedestrianisation of Liverpool Lime Street, will be making Nassau the home of its first ever office in the Americas. The firm will hire and train Bahamian engineers and project managers, and connect Bahamian companies with British expertise to win contracts across the Caribbean and USA.

UK Caribbean Minister, Baroness Chapman said:

The UK-Bahamas relationship is going from strength to strength. The Right Honourable Philip Davis honoured the UK with his generous hospitality this week. 

The deals discussed with the Right Honourable Philip Davis here this week will be expected to see British businesses deliver essential infrastructure projects for The Bahamas, and invest directly in The Bahamas.

They are a further illustration of our growing partnership, as we continue work to deliver growth and prosperity for the people of both our nations.

I look forward to continuing to deepen our ties from trade to climate during my time in The Bahamas

During her visit, Baroness Chapman also met Minister of Education and Technical and Vocational Training, the Honourable Glenys Hanna-Martin, where she formally handed over 10,000 pages of historic documents pertaining to Bahamian Independence, that have been stored in the National Archives in the UK.  

The documents have also been digitised and will be made available by The Bahamas’ National Archive, which will increase access and public understanding of the process undertaken to achieve independence by students both in The Bahamas and the UK.  

Following a visit to a coral reef to see the work local NGOs are doing to preserve an important ecological area, the Minister toured the University of The Bahamas, where she took part in a roundtable alongside environmental science students, academics and NGOs focused on the impact of climate change on The Bahamas and the intersection with equality and inclusion during climate crises (especially women, young people, people with disabilities, and LGBT people).

The Minister was able to spend time with young sailors as part of The Bahamas’ programme to make sailing a national sport, and with community group Lend a Hand helping young people and families with after school programmes.

The Minister’s visit to The Bahamas was celebrated with a formal dinner organised and hosted by the Honourable Prime Minister Philip Davis, and attended by his Cabinet and senior members of the Bahamian government.

Baroness Chapman also attended a reception with British and Bahamian business leaders, organised to promote the UK government’s mission for growth.

Finally, the Minister visited the Forensics department of The Royal Bahamas Police Force and met two senior female officers who were recipients of the UK Chevening scholarship, and who received formal UK forensics training.