Joint Statement between the Prime Minister of Vietnam and the President of the Dominican Republic

The two sides agreed on the need to enhance trade and investment promotion activities, connect businesses and facilitate export products to access each other's markets.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh holds talks with Dominican President Luis Abinader Corona. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

From November 19-21, 2024, President Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona and senior officials of the Government of the Dominican Republic welcomed Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh on an official visit to the Dominican Republic.

The visit of the Prime Minister and the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Government and representatives of the business community aims to strengthen diplomatic relations, consolidate friendship and cooperation in various fields, and promote opportunities to increase trade and investment activities between the two countries.

On behalf of the Government and People of Vietnam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh thanked President Luis Abinader for the warm welcome and hospitality that the Vietnamese delegation received during their visit.

Accordingly, the two countries declare as follows:

The two sides highly appreciated the strong friendship between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Dominican Republic since the establishment of diplomatic relations on July 7, 2005, which has been further strengthened with the decision of the Government of the Dominican Republic to officially open an Embassy in Hanoi on February 25, 2023.

The two sides emphasized the importance of the visit to the Dominican Republic by the Prime Minister of Vietnam to the bilateral relationship, as the first visit by the head of the Vietnamese Government to the Dominican Republic, creating a special milestone in strengthening the relationship between the Governments and Peoples of the two countries.

The two sides discussed the situation in each country; accordingly, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh positively assessed the socio-economic achievements that the Dominican Republic has achieved in recent decades, especially maintaining a high economic growth rate and constantly expanding and enhancing the position of the Dominican Republic in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

For his part, President Luis Abinader highly appreciated the sustainable progress that Vietnam has achieved, as well as Vietnam's prominent role in the Southeast Asian and Asia-Pacific regions.

The two leaders highlighted the importance and value of the Ho Chi Minh Monument in Santo Domingo and the Professor Juan Bosch Monument in Hanoi, considering them symbols of friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and the Dominican Republic.

Vietnam-Dominican Business Dialogue. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

President Luis Abinader and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed their desire to continue promoting high-level dialogue to orient the development of relations between Vietnam and the Dominican Republic, through the organization of official visits and regular political consultations between the two countries.

For his part, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh respectfully conveyed the invitation from the Vietnamese High-ranking Leaders to President Luis Abinader to visit Vietnam at a suitable time. The President of the Dominican Republic respectfully thanked him and happily accepted the invitation.

The two countries emphasized the potential for cooperation in key areas such as trade, production, investment, agriculture, energy, telecommunications, digital transformation, construction, education and training, culture, and tourism.

The two sides agreed on the need to enhance trade and investment promotion activities, connect businesses and facilitate export products to access each other's markets, considering this as a gateway to Southeast Asian and Caribbean markets. The two sides shared a vision for each country's relations with Latin American-Caribbean countries and with Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.

The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to promoting multilateralism and the central role of the United Nations, respecting international law, expanding cooperation and mutual support at international organizations and multilateral forums of which both countries are members such as the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), and South-South cooperation.

The two sides welcomed the signing of important bilateral documents, including the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Government of the Dominican Republic on the establishment of the Joint Committee on Trade Promotion and Technical Cooperation, and the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) and the Dominican Republic Institute of Higher Education for Diplomatic and Consular Training (INESDYC).

The two sides expressed their intention to initiate negotiations to soon sign important bilateral documents such as the Tourism Cooperation Agreement, cultural and educational cooperation agreements, as well as initiate inter-sectoral consultations to soon negotiate the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement.

At the same time, the two sides welcomed the organization of the first Dialogue between businesses of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Dominican Republic at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to open up trade and investment opportunities between the business communities of the two countries.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh with leaders of the Dominican Diplomatic Academy. (Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

The two sides acknowledged the importance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s policy statement on the relationship between Vietnam and the Dominican Republic – a bridge of friendship and cooperation between Southeast Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean, at the Higher Institute of Diplomatic and Consular Education under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic.

The two sides affirmed the importance of enhancing cooperation between legislative bodies, local authorities (provinces and cities) and people-to-people exchanges, thereby contributing to consolidating the friendship and close cooperation between the two countries.

Finally, President Luis Abinader and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the importance of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2025, accordingly, the two sides agreed to promote activities to celebrate this event, considering it a milestone of friendship between the people of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Dominican Republic./.

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