For Immediate Release
6th July 2026
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to announce that His Excellency P. Nicholas J. Symonette Jr., High Commissioner of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the Republic of India (non-resident), today presented his Letters of Credence to Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu, President of the Republic of India, during a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, 6 July 2026.
The presentation of credentials marks the formal commencement of High Commissioner Symonette’s tenure and reaffirms the enduring friendship between the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Republic of India. It also reflects the shared commitment of both Governments to deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including trade and investment, tourism, education, healthcare, technology, digital transformation, capacity building, renewable energy, disaster resilience, maritime affairs and multilateral cooperation.
The Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas acknowledges with profound appreciation the longstanding friendship and generosity extended by the Government and people of India. Following the devastation of Hurricane Dorian, India made a significant contribution towards the construction of a hurricane shelter in Abaco, demonstrating its unwavering solidarity with the Bahamian people during one of the nation’s most challenging periods. During the global COVID-19 pandemic, India also provided life-saving COVID-19 vaccines to The Bahamas as part of its international humanitarian outreach, while extending similar assistance to countries around the world. These acts of friendship continue to serve as enduring symbols of the strong relationship between our two nations.
Accompanying the High Commissioner was Mr. Venkatram Reddy, Honorary Consul of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the Republic of India. The Ministry expresses its sincere appreciation for Mr. Reddy’s dedicated and steadfast service over many years. His continued commitment to providing consular assistance, maintaining an effective in-country presence, advancing bilateral relations, safeguarding the interests of Bahamian nationals within the region, and supporting the foreign policy objectives of The Bahamas has been invaluable and exemplifies the important role of Honorary Consuls in representing the nation abroad.
High Commissioner Symonette brings to his diplomatic appointment extensive experience in public administration, consular affairs and foreign service. During his earlier service within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he contributed to the modernization of the Ministry’s operations through the development of the International Organisation Election Tracking System, strengthening The Bahamas’ ability to coordinate and manage elections within international and regional organisations.
He currently serves as Acting Chief Passport Officer, where he has led a comprehensive programme of operational modernization within the Passport Office. Under his leadership, the Department has strengthened internal governance and verification procedures, enhanced fraud prevention measures, improved operational performance, reduced passport processing times, expanded passport and consular services across the Bahamian archipelago, and advanced initiatives to modernize identity and travel document services. He continues to lead work aimed at streamlining policies relating to citizenship entitlement, identity verification and passport eligibility, while ensuring that the integrity and security of Bahamian travel documents remain aligned with international best practices.
The Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas is confident that High Commissioner Symonette’s extensive experience in diplomacy, public administration and identity management will contribute significantly to strengthening relations between The Bahamas and India and advancing cooperation in areas that promote sustainable development and shared prosperity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs looks forward to building upon the strong foundation of friendship that already exists between the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Republic of India and to expanding collaboration for the mutual benefit of both peoples.
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