Statement by the Press Secretary: President Bush to Welcome Prime Ministers of The Bahamas, Barbados, and Belize

President Bush will welcome Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham of The Bahamas, Prime Minister David Thompson of Barbados, and Prime Minister Dean Barrow of Belize to the White House on March 20, 2008. The Bahamas, Barbados, and Belize are longstanding friends of the United States and countries with whom we share deep social and familial ties as well as the values of democracy and respect for human rights. The President looks forward to discussing a range of issues--including strengthening democracy in the region, increasing social and trade ties, cooperating on security and crime, and improving the lives of the region's citizens--with these new Caribbean leaders, all of whom have been democratically elected within the past year.