BVI / DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – British Virgin Islands Special Envoy Benito Wheatley and Dominican Republic vice minister for economic affairs and international cooperation Hugo Francisco Rivera Fernández eld a bilateral meeting in which they discussed the importance of a regional economic hub in the Caribbean to facilitate international trade, particularly as the world economy faces strong economic headwinds that threaten global supply chains.
The vice minister highlighted the Dominican Republic’s growth as an economic hub in the region whose economy has strong transportation and trade links with North America, Central America, South America and Europe. He emphasised the potential benefits of these links to the British Virgin Islands and other Caribbean countries seeking to diversify their trade relationships. The Vice Minister and Special Envoy also continued BVI-DR talks on strengthening economic cooperation, including an initial British Virgin Islands trade mission to the Dominican Republic.
Commenting on the bilateral meeting, Wheatley said:
“It was a pleasure to engage with vice minister Rivera to continue BVI-DR discussions on strengthening economic cooperation. The impressive economic growth and development of the Dominican Republic over the past decade has seen the country emerge as a critical economic hub in the Caribbean. As a close neighbour, the British Virgin Islands can benefit from the Dominican Republic’s regional and international trade and transportation links. We will continue to work with our Dominican partners to strengthen economic cooperation, including the organisation of a BVI trade mission to the Dominican Republic in the near future.”
The bilateral meeting took place in the margins of the 8th meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development at UN ECLAC in Santiago, Chile from 31 March to 4 April.
