The establishment by Santo Domingo of an embassy here was hailed yesterday during the visit of Dominican Republic President, Luis Abinader and the two countries are to set up a high-level working group to advance co-operation.
A joint statement from a meeting yesterday between President Irfaan Ali and Abinader said that the two leaders expressed their commitment to pursue greater collaboration, particularly in the areas of energy, agriculture, tourism, trade, ICT, infrastructure and industry.
They felicitated the establishment of a Dominican Republic Embassy in Georgetown and the accreditation of the resident Ambassador, Ernesto Torres Pereyra as a tangible step in relations which will facilitate opportunities for further engagement in the advancement of the bilateral agenda.
According to the statement, Ali welcomed the keen interest of the private sector from the Dominican Republic here.
“Both Presidents recognised the important contribution which the private sectors of the two countries could make in advancing this agenda and encouraged increased collaboration and partnership between businesses of Guyana and the Dominican Republic including increased investments by companies from both countries”, the statement added.
In this regard, they looked forward to the early start of commercial flights by Dominican Republic carrier Skycana which would provide the opportunity for increased tourism and greater ease of travel in and out of Guyana.
The Presidents also deliberated on issues of mutual interest and concern on the regional, hemispheric and multilateral agendas and committed to strengthen their resolve to work on advocating in the interest of Small Island Developing States to address challenges including food security, energy security and the impact of climate change.
They voiced concerns over the great risks posed to their economies by the sargassum weed that has invaded large parts of the Caribbean and agreed to work together to find solutions.
“They reiterated the rule of law, protection of sovereignty and territorial integrity, respect for democracy, the promotion of human rights and sustainable development of their countries as paramount pillars for the maintenance of peace and security in the region”, the statement said.
They also noted each other’s post-Covid-19 economic recovery efforts and highlighted the value of continued engagement and advocacy at the international level for an enabling environment to facilitate sustainable development.
In reviewing the political situation in the Republic of Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, the Presidents agreed that Haiti is an “important member” of the Caribbean family of nations. They, therefore, welcomed the establishment of the CARICOM Eminent Persons Group on Haiti to be supported by a technical team. They pledged the full support of their Governments towards political stability in Haiti.
The two Presidents praised the efforts of their Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the conclusion of three bilateral Agreements and witnessed their signing:
• Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic.
• Air Services Agreement between the Government of Guyana and the Government of the Dominican Republic.
• Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Cooperation between the Government of Guyana and the Government of the Dominican Republic.
The two Presidents also agreed to establish a high-level working group to advance and monitor the various areas identified for cooperation.
President Ali committed to paying a reciprocal visit to Santo Domingo by the end of June 2023, the statement added.
