The relationship between the Dominican Republic and India is warm and mutually beneficial
With the bilateral relationship between the two nations entering its 25th year, Dominican Republic Vice President Raquel Peña Rodríguez will pay an official visit to India from October 3-5, 2023. The visit, at the invitation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, will be the first ever by the Vice President of the Dominican Republic to India.
 
The visit is significant as it comes at a time when India is strengthening its presence in the Latin America and Caribbean region. 
 
According to information provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday (October 1, 2023), during her visit, Vice President Raquel Peña Rodríguez will call on President Droupadi Murmu. She will hold discussions with Vice President Dhankhar and other Indian dignitaries. She will also deliver a lecture on India-Dominican Republic relations at the Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA).
 
The visit of the Vice President of the Dominican Republic follows that of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to that country in April 2023. "It will provide another opportunity to continue high-level discussions to further deepen and broaden our mutually beneficial relationship," the MEA said about the visit.
 
A SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP OVER THE YEARS 
 
The Dominican Republic is an important partner of India in the Latin America and Caribbean region. 
 
Diplomatic relations between India and the Dominican Republic were established in May 1999. The Dominican Republic opened its Embassy in New Delhi on May 1, 2006. India opened its Embassy in Santo Domingo on January 1, 2022. The Embassy was formally inaugurated by EAM Jaishankar during his April visit.
 
The relationship between the Dominican Republic and India has been strong and mutually beneficial across diverse sectors. 
 
Bilateral trade between India and the Dominican Republic has increased significantly in recent years. The main items of India’s exports are cotton textiles and readymade garments, drugs and pharmaceuticals, furniture, transport equipment, manufactures of metals, chemicals, plastic and linoleum products, tea, processed foods and marine products. Gold accounts for 70% of the Dominican Republic's exports to India. 
 
Under the Vaccine Maitri Initiative, SII (Serum Institute of India) supplied 20,000 doses of Covishield vaccines in February 2021 as part of a commercial deal between the Dominican Republic Government and the Serum Institute of India (SII). The second and final tranche of 90,000 doses of vaccines reached the country in January 2022. Separately, in February 2021, India donated 30,000 doses of Covishield vaccines to the Dominican Republic.
 
Since 1999, the Government of India has been offering annual slots to the Dominican Republic for training in various institutions in India under the ITEC programme.
 
Incidentally, the Dominican Republic was one of the first signatories of the Framework Agreement on International Solar Alliance (ISA) which is spearheaded by India.