Speeches

Exchange of Diplomatic Notes Establishing a Bilateral Work Agreement

January 18, 2005
Nassau, Bahamas

Remarks by Ambassador John Darrell Rood

When I became Ambassador, Secretary of State Colin Powell gave me several words of advice on how to carry out my duties.  His main recommendation: take care of your people.  The conclusion of this Bilateral Work Agreement is an important part of fulfilling that goal.

Like American families everywhere, many members of our embassy community are two-income couples.  Some spouses find work inside the embassy, but many others look to the local economy to utilize their skills in international business, teaching, or other areas of expertise.  The Bilateral Work Agreement will help expedite the work permit process for spouses and dependents here in The Bahamas.  And, since the agreement is reciprocal, it will also make employment easier for the spouses and dependents of official Bahamian personnel assigned in the United States.

Serving one's government abroad presents many wonderful opportunities but also considerable challenges.  Too often the challenges fall disproportionately on family members, who are forced to leave jobs, change schools, or move away from friends.  Having a Bilateral Work Agreement is one way we can make things easier for our families, one way we can take care of our people.

Many people worked hard for many years to make this agreement a reality.  I would like to single out Ronnie Fontenot, our acting Management Officer, and Maria Symonette, our Human Resources Specialist, for their efforts in seeing this agreement to a conclusion.

Our thanks also go to Minister Mitchell and his team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their help and responsiveness.  We look forward to working together to implement this agreement for the benefit of all our families.