New Delhi: Vice President of the Dominican Republic, Raquel Pena Rodriguez on Tuesday called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

On meeting Rodriguez, President Murmu emphasized that capacity building is one of the central pillars of Indian-Dominican Republic cooperation.

"She was happy to note that recently, India has organized two Special Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) training courses for Dominican Republic officials, in the critical fields of cyber security and remote sensing," the President's Secretariat said in a statement.

President Murmu welcomed the Vice President of the Dominican Republic on her first visit to India.

Noting the 25th anniversary of India-Dominican Republic diplomatic relations, the President said, "The timing of this visit is very apt as India and the Dominican Republic are marking the 25th anniversary of their diplomatic relations."

She further stressed that the bilateral relations between the two countries are warm and friendly, "anchored on the strong foundation of shared values of democracy, and a broad convergence of views on global issues."

President Murmu noted that the Dominican Republic is India's 8th largest trading partner in Latin America, according to the statement.

Moreover, she showed confidence noting that there is a potential to further diversify the trade basket.

"She said there is scope for working together and exchanging our experience and expertise in areas such as pharmaceutical products, marine science, meteorology, disaster resilient infrastructure and digital payments technologies," the statement said.

Furthermore, the two nations' leaders agreed that continuing exchanges and contacts between India and the Dominican Republic would further strengthen their bilateral ties.

Vice President of the Dominican Republic, Raquel Pena Rodriguez arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on a three-day visit to India.

She will hold discussions with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and other Indian dignitaries.

She will also deliver a lecture on India-Dominican Republic relations at the Indian Council for World Affairs.

"The visit is significant as it takes place at a time when India-Dominican Republic bilateral relationship is entering its 25th year. The two countries established diplomatic relations on 04 May 1999," the MEA said in an official release.

Diplomatic relations between India and the Dominican Republic were established in May 1999.

Dominican Republic is an important partner of India in the Latin America and Caribbean region. The visit of the Vice President of the Dominican Republic comes closely on the heels of that of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to that country in April 2023, the MEA release added.

Training and exchange of good practices have constituted the two main areas of cooperation between India and the Dominican Republic. Both nations have expressed their willingness to continue working together and to identify new initiatives.