Britain will support Bermuda and other Overseas Territories in their quest for greater autonomy under a newly signed agreement.

The joint declaration between Whitehall and the 14 OTs — which will cement “a modern partnership for a stronger British family” — also encourages the territories “to enter into bilateral agreements with independent nations and other bodies, and to strengthen links with regional and international organisations”.

The declaration was signed after a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council in London last month. Bermuda was represented at that meeting by David Burt, the Premier, and Walter Roban, the Deputy Premier.

Earlier last month, the Government revealed that it intends to initiate a consultation process over full membership of Caricom, the Caribbean intergovernmental organisation. Bermuda has associate membership at present.

Mr Roban has confirmed that the Government is pressing ahead with the move, which has been criticised by political opponents.

He told the House of Assembly: “We are determining what will be needed for us to facilitate a full application, what steps are required and what may be the points of negotiation we would need to initiate with the Caricom secretariat. We are reaching out to the secretariat to obtain all the required information for the application.”

The new joint declaration, which was released by the Government yesterday, states: “We acknowledge the political, economic, and technological shifts which have created a more complex international environment for the United Kingdom and British Overseas Territories to navigate.

“Against this backdrop, we reaffirm the deep, historic and enduring partnership between the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories.

“We recognise and celebrate the diversity of the UK and each British Overseas Territory, our communities and cultures. We are family, united by shared values and working together to deliver for our peoples and overcome collective challenges. We reaffirm the unique and intricate bond between our communities.

“We affirm the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples of the British Overseas Territories, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter, and restate our enduring commitment to countering hostile sovereignty claims.

“We are proud of a relationship that delivers for our peoples, conscious of the historical and profound cultural ties which connect us.”

Under the subheading “Empowering Territory Governments“, the signatories declared: ”The UK will support democratically elected British Overseas Territory governments to accept additional responsibilities and greater autonomy, alongside accountability, where they wish to.

“The UK would take such steps in line with its sovereign responsibilities and international law, while ensuring that obligations are met under the UN Charter and relevant international conventions, as well as under each British Overseas Territory’s constitution.

“For those British Overseas Territories with permanent populations who wish it, the UK will continue to support requests for the removal of the Territory from the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories. The UK will also support territories to provide updates to the UN’s Decolonisation Committee.”

Under a second subheading of “Mutual Expectations and Responsibilities”, the declaration states: “We will support the development of bilateral compacts between individual British Overseas Territories.

“Where appropriate, the UK will support territories to enter into bilateral agreements with independent nations and other bodies, and to strengthen links with regional and international organisations.”

The declaration also calls on all parties to “deliver good governance for all”.

It states: “We will strengthen and improve our public institutions, across all areas of responsibility, to ensure they ... manage public finances effectively, and are at the cutting edge of worldwide efforts to combat illicit finance and corruption, including increasing transparency, implementing and upholding global standards and ensuring the implementation and enforcement of effective sanctions regimes.”

Britain is to publish a strategy which will set out its commitment to the OTs.

The declaration concluded: “We are united by these shared values and commitments. We will work together to achieve our collective ambition through our global partnership to deliver a prosperous and secure future for our peoples.”