New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday held a meeting with Dominican Republic Vice President Raquel Pena Rodriguez and discussed further strengthening of bilateral ties, particularly in trade, commerce, education, defence, space and renewables.

In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, "Delighted to meet VP @RaquelPenaVice of the Dominican Republic this evening in New Delhi Discussed further strengthening of our bilateral ties, especially in trade & commerce, education, defence, space and renewables. Exchanged views on regional and multilateral issues as well."

Earlier in the day, Dominican Republic Vice President Rodriguez met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. On meeting Rodriguez, President Murmu emphasised 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.

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.

Dominican Republic Vice President Rodriguez also met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The two leaders held discussions on various aspects of bilateral ties.

Taking to X, Om Birla stated, "Had a fruitful discussion with HE Ms. Raquel Peña, VP of Dominican Republic on various aspects of our bilateral relationship. Informed her about the historic #NariShaktiVandan Act. HE Peña thanked India for COVID vaccines under #VaccineMaitri and voiced support for closer ties."

Rodriguez also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. In a post on X, Rodriguez stated, "Today I visited the Mahatma Gandhi memorial in New Delhi, a tribute to one of the most influential leaders in the fight for Indian independence. Having the opportunity to be here strengthens the commitment to continue working for a more peaceful and harmonious future for all."

Raquel Pena Rodriguez arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on a three-day visit to India. She will also deliver a lecture on India-Dominican Republic relations at the Indian Council for World Affairs.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a press release said, "The visit is significant as it is takes place at a time when India-Dominican Republic bilateral relationship is entering its 25th year." Notably, the two nations established diplomatic relations on 04 May 1999.

MEA in the press release said, "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 Dr 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."