Press Release
The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and the Republic of Estonia today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a long-term partnership to advance digital transformation and innovation across an array of cooperation areas.
The agreement was signed by The Hon. Sebastian Bastian, Minister of Innovation and National Development of The Bahamas, and The Hon. Liisa-Ly Pakosta, Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Estonia, on the margins of the 41st Annual CANTO Conference and Trade Exhibition.
The MOU establishes a framework for collaboration between the two countries in the exchange of knowledge, technical expertise and best practices across a range of digital transformation priorities, including digital government, interoperability, digital identity, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, institutional capacity and citizen-centred public services. It also provides for technical exchanges, study visits, workshops and partnerships involving government, industry and technology stakeholders in both countries.
The agreement builds on discussions initiated just one month ago during the United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva, Switzerland, where Minister Bastian met with Estonian officials to explore opportunities for strategic cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital government and government modernization.
Estonia is internationally recognized as one of the world’s most advanced digital societies, having pioneered secure digital identity, interoperable government systems and citizen-centred digital public services. Through this partnership, The Bahamas will seek to leverage Estonia’s experience as the Ministry of Innovation and National Development leads the digital transformation agenda and builds the institutional capacity needed to support a modern, efficient and future-ready government.
Minister Bastian said Estonia’s experience provides The Bahamas with an invaluable opportunity to learn from one of the world’s leading digital governments.
“Estonia has really been the model for e-governance in their advancement in digital identity, interoperable frameworks and how modern governments work. As The Bahamas looks to move in that direction, having a country that has travelled that road and has the experience, the learnings and even the missteps to share helps us move faster. Being able to draw on that technical support allows us to take out some of the guesswork and accelerate our efforts as we modernize government for the Bahamian people.”
The Minister added that while the partnership is rooted in technology, its success will ultimately be measured by the opportunities it creates for Bahamians and the country’s ability to build lasting national capability.
“Success isn’t simply importing technologies from all over the world and being adopters of AI, but being developers and builders. Capacity building is what success looks like and, most importantly, success looks like sovereignty. We want our people building these technologies, operating them, owning them, deploying them and exporting them. Sovereignty means capacity. It means access. It means oversight. It means true ownership of government and private sector data and protections, and we felt Estonia understood and supported that vision.”
Minister Pakosta said Estonia views the partnership as an opportunity for both countries to learn from one another while advancing inclusive digital transformation.
“Estonia is a small country and we value cooperation globally because we believe there should be no digital divide and that every country should have the opportunity to benefit from digital transformation. We see this cooperation not as showing others how to do things, but as learning from each other. Estonia is a good partner because we not only share our successes, but also our mistakes so they can be avoided; we are very practice-oriented, results-oriented and open in our cooperation.”
She continued that the ultimate measure of success for the partnership would be the tangible improvements it delivers for Bahamian citizens, businesses and future generations.
“The success of this partnership will be when your citizens feel that services are becoming more efficient and better, and when your companies feel they have more opportunities. Most importantly, your young people should know they have a bright future in their own country because it is digitally advanced and creates opportunity.”
For The Bahamas, the partnership represents an important milestone in the work of the Ministry of Innovation and National Development to modernize government, strengthen national capability in emerging technologies and position the country to compete in an increasingly digital global economy.
Minister Bastian said “The Ministry’s approach is grounded in the belief that innovation must ultimately translate into better public services, greater economic opportunity and stronger national competitiveness for Bahamians. The speed with which this partnership has progressed, from our initial discussions in Geneva to today’s signing, reflects the shared commitment of both countries to moving from dialogue to meaningful impact. We are grateful to the Republic of Estonia for its friendship and willingness to share its expertise, and we look forward to working together to develop practical solutions that reflect The Bahamas’ unique needs and priorities.”
The signing forms part of the Ministry of Innovation and National Development’s broader international engagement strategy, which seeks to establish practical partnerships that support government modernization, responsible artificial intelligence adoption, digital transformation and the development of future-ready skills for Bahamians.
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