KATHMANDU: Nepal and the Bahamas have established diplomatic relations today.

Ambassador Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations, and Ambassador Sheila Carey, Permanent Representative of The Bahamas to the United Nations signed an instrument to this effect at a brief ceremony in New York, according to the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations, New York.

On the occasion, the two Ambassadors explored possible areas of cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels, including climate change and natural disasters as well as tourism cooperation. They also resolved to continue working together at the United Nations in pursuit of peace, development and common prosperity ahead.

Ambassador Bhattarai also expressed heartfelt sympathy and solidarity of the Government and people of Nepal to the Government and people of the Bahamas for the devastation that the Bahamas has had to endure last month and wished a resilient rebuilding of the nation, stated the press release issued by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations, New York.

The two Ambassadors also jointly informed Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres about the establishment of Nepal-the Bahamas bilateral relations today.

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas consists of more than 700 islands, cays, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, and is located north of Cuba and Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, southeast of the US state of Florida, and east of the Florida Keys, reads the press release.

According to the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations, "The Bahamas relies on tourism to generate most of its economic activity. Tourism as an industry not only accounts for over 60% of the Bahamian GDP, but provides jobs for more than half the country’s workforce. Per capita income of The Bahamas is around US$ 25000. The Bahamas was one of the countries hit by the Hurricane Irma in October 2017."

The Bahamas joined the United Nations on September 18, 1973 following its independence from the United Kingdom on 10 July 1973. Both Nepal and the Bahamas are members of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Group of 77. The Bahamas is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

The number of countries with which Nepal has established diplomatic relations has now reached 153.