Dominican Republic and Jamaica sign new agreement; exports and trade will increase

Santo Domingo.- Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson, shared details of her visit to the Dominican Republic, where she had meetings with President Luis Abinader and Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez.

During her visit, Kamina Johnson discussed various aspects, including the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, to the Dominican Republic next year. The discussions also covered the cooperation agreements signed between her and Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez, encompassing areas such as agriculture, trade, investment, logistics, culture, and language exchange.

Minister Kamina Johnson expressed her satisfaction with the meeting with President Abinader and highlighted the importance of planning the Prime Minister’s visit. She also emphasized the achievements of her visit, particularly 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 also seek to increase what we can export to your great country.”

Both Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez and Minister Kamina Johnson expressed their commitment to leverage the full potential of diplomatic ties to strengthen trade and investment relations.

The relations between the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are currently in an excellent state, with the upcoming celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations next year.

Minister Kamina Johnson emphasized the importance of open and honest discussions between good friends, even on challenging topics, to build stronger relationships.

The agreement signed during Kamina Johnson’s visit aligns with the Dominican government’s strategy to enhance its ties with Caribbean countries and diversify its export offerings to Jamaica. Beyond existing exports of cardboard, plastic, fruits, cement, fertilizers, rods, mattresses, furniture, and edible materials, the Dominican Republic aims 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. Currently, Jamaica represents the Dominican Republic’s second-largest trading partner in the region and the seventh globally.

In 2021, the Dominican Republic exported goods worth $122 million to Jamaica, marking a 39% growth compared to 2019.

Notably, last month, the Ministry of Defense of the Dominican Republic (MIDE) and the Chief of the Defense Forces of Jamaica signed two collaboration agreements aimed at strengthening aeronautical and maritime search and rescue operations, as well as enhancing joint efforts to combat international organized crime in both countries.