New Delhi, July 3 (FN Bureau) India and the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean held the second round of Foreign Office Consultations during which both sides reviewed bilateral relations including political, trade and investment, and noted that trade grew over 100% to reach the USD 1 billion mark. The Foreign Office Consultations were held in Santo Domingo on July 1. The Indian side was led by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) and the Dominican Republic by Ambassador José Julio Gómez, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The consultations reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations including political, trade and investment, capacity building and cooperation in science and technology including space, cyber security and artificial intelligence, higher education and cultural relations.Multilateral and regional issues including cooperation in UN, International Solar Alliance (ISA) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) were also discussed.Secretary (East) called on Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez and exchanged views on strengthening bilateral relations between India and the Caribbean nation. During the discussion, the host country appreciated the establishment of India´s resident Mission in Santo Domingo on January 1, 2022. Both sides acknowledged the potential to further deepen relations including expanding trade which grew over 100% to reach USD 1 billion mark. India is the fourth largest trade partner of Dominican Republic.The Consultations were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere. Both sides agreed to hold the next round of Consultations at a mutually convenient date in New Delhi.