Santo Domingo.- The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, Kamina Johnson, shared details of her visit to the Dominican Republic, where she held meetings with President Luis Abinader and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Álvarez.
During her visit, Kamina Johnson addressed various aspects. She discussed the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, to the Dominican Republic next year. The conversations also covered the cooperation agreements signed between her and Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez. They cover areas such as agriculture, trade, investments, logistics, culture, and language exchange.
Minister Kamina Johnson expressed her satisfaction with the meeting with President Abinader. She highlighted the importance of planning the Prime Minister’s visit. She also highlighted the achievements of her visit. These include the signing of new cooperation agreements aimed at fostering collaboration in agriculture, culture and language exchange, and enhancing trade and investment between the two countries.
Kamina Johnson stated: “Jamaica is interested in Dominican products, but we are also looking to increase what we can export to your great country.”
Both Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez and Minister Kamina Johnson expressed their commitment to harnessing the full potential of diplomatic ties to strengthen trade and investment relations.
Relations between the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are currently in excellent condition. The upcoming celebration is the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the both nations next year.
Minister Kamina Johnson emphasized the importance of having open and honest conversations between good friends. This applies even about challenging topics, to build stronger relationships.
The agreement signed during Kamina Johnson’s visit is aligned with the Dominican government’s strategy to improve its ties with Caribbean countries and diversify its export offer to Jamaica. Beyond existing exports of cardboard, plastic, fruits, cement, fertilizers, rods, mattresses, furniture, and edible materials, the Dominican Republic intends to explore new opportunities.
The Dominican ambassador to Jamaica, Angie Shakira Martínez, who also attended the meetings, has previously described Jamaica as a strategic partner of the Dominican Republic. Jamaica currently represents the Dominican Republic’s second trading partner in the region and the seventh worldwide.
In 2021, the Dominican Republic exported goods worth $122 million to Jamaica, marking a growth of 39% compared to 2019.
It is worth noting that last month, the Ministry of Defense of the Dominican Republic (MIDE) and the Chief of the Jamaican Defense Forces signed two collaboration agreements aimed at strengthening aeronautical and maritime search and rescue operations, as well as improving joint efforts to combat organized international operations. crime in both countries.