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Jamaica PM Bids Fond Farewell to Obamas, Compliments Their ‘Grace and Poise’

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President Barack Obama greets then-Opposition leader Andrew Holness during his April 2015 visit. Looking on are then-Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Peter Bunting, former Security Minister.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, wished outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama well, telling him to do good deeds and keep in touch with the nation that has come to love him.

In a message Wednesday, Jan. 18, Holness commended the president for demonstrating an exemplary family life while raising his young children in the public glare of the world.

“Personally, as a father of young boys, I have always been struck at the grace with which the Obamas managed their two terms in office, especially with two young daughters,” Prime Minister Holness wrote. “Their grace and poise serve as examples for many families in the United States and here in Jamaica.”

According to Holness, Jamaica and the U.S. have historically shared a special bond, describing the past eight years as a productive relationship with the Obama Administration.

“The Caribbean Energy Security Initiative, which has enabled Jamaica to benefit from the significant natural gas reserves of the United states; and the United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act, which gives the U.S. Secretary of State and the United States Agency for International Development better opportunities to develop long-term strategies in the areas of security, energy, diplomacy and access to educational opportunities, are two areas of note,” Holness said.

“Jamaica recognizes President Obama as a friend of the nation and we know that the productive and friendly relationship with the United States further developed under his administration will undoubtedly continue.”

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