India, Dominican Republic keen to boost cooperation in healthcare, medicine

At a time when Dominican Republic Vice President Raquel Pena Rodriguez is on her first-ever India visit at the invitation of her Indian counterpart, Jagdeep Dhankhar, both countries have shown interest in cooperation in the healthcare sector and pharmaceuticals.

Expressing keen interest, the Indian side laid emphasis on opportunities for collaboration in the healthcare sector, including the generic drug supply.

"Expressed their keen intent to enhance cooperation in the field of healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The Indian side noted the opportunities for collaboration in the healthcare sector, including the supply of generic drugs. The Dominican side expressed its readiness to support Indian pharmaceutical companies interested in expanding their presence in the region," the joint press release of the meeting between Vice-President Dhankhar and the Vice President of the Dominican Republic, Rodrigues read.

The ongoing cooperation in training and capacity building, and the agreement to develop courses under the ITEC program for Dominican professionals in cybersecurity, Big Data management, and information technology was also discussed during the meeting between the two leaders.

According to the joint press release, India welcomed the training of a second batch of twenty-one diplomats of the Dominican Republic at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service in September 2023.

"In the light of the fruitful existing relations between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and the Ministry of External Affairs of the Dominican Republic, they agreed to continue capacity building initiatives," the release read.

"Agreed to promote synergies in the audio-visual sector, considering vibrant film industries in the two countries and untapped opportunities in each other's markets," it added.

Moreover, the talks between the two sides also focussed on issues of multilateralism, and on how to cooperatively address major global challenges and ensure higher levels of equity.

"To this end, they emphasized the need for urgent and comprehensive reforms of the UN Security Council to reflect contemporary realities through an expansion of both categories of its membership. They called for expediting a text-based process in the Intergovernmental Negotiations with the aim of achieving concrete outcomes in a fixed time-frame, and in consultation with all member states in a transparent and inclusive manner and in keeping with relevant provisions of the UN Charter," the release said.

India and the Dominican Republic further emphasized the need for continued close coordination between the two countries in multilateral organizations on respective national candidatures and global issues of mutual interest.

Stating that the future of bilateral relations between New Delhi and the Dominican Republic is 'bright', Vice President of the Dominican Republic, Raquel Pena Rodriguez on Wednesday extended support for India in its bid to become a permanent member of the reformed United Nations Security Council. She said further that the two countries can act as bridges and gateways for each other to boost people-to-people ties.

The minister made the remarks at a lecture on 'The Dominican Republic and India Natural Partners' at Sapru House in the national capital yesterday.

"The Dominican Republic can be a window for India to Latin America and the Caribbean while India can be the door for the Dominican Republic to South Asia and beyond," she said at the event.

"The Dominican Republic is ready to take the qualitative leap with India. The future of our bilateral relationship is bright," she added.

The Dominican Vice President also referred to the opening of the Indian Embassy in the Dominican Republic in 2022, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's first visit to the country as Foreign Minister, and the frequency of high-level visits between the two countries.

"I once again thank the Government of India for its unwavering support and providing vaccines that enabled us to immunize frontline healthcare workers so that they continue doing their commendable work at critical times," she said.

Earlier in the day, India signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in ocean sciences and medical product regulation with the Dominican Republic.

The MoUs were signed during a meeting between the Dominican Vice President and her Indian counterpart, Jagdeep Dhankhar, in the national capital.

Rodriguez arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on a three-day visit to India. She met President Droupadi Murmu and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday. Rodriguez also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.