To further enhance India’s presence in Latin America and Caribbean Region, on February 2, 2022, Ramu Abbagani presented his credentials as the first resident Ambassador of India to the Dominican Republic. Through a tweet the Indian mission announced the presentation of Ambassador Ramu Abbagani’s credentials. He presented his credentials to President Luis Rodolfo Abinader Corona, within three days of his arrival in Santo Domingo.   After the presentation the two talked about working together in strengthening relations between the two countries.

Is this the first time an envoy presented credentials within the first three days?

After presenting his credentials, Ambassador Ramu Abbagani told Financial Express Online, “Not sure about the three days. But very rare and reflects eagerness and friendship.”

Is there a mission of the Dominican Republic in India?

Yes. And this was set up by Ambassador Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, who was the longest-serving ambassador of his country to India. In 2020, he moved on as an ambassador of his country to Russia. He served for 15 long years as an ambassador to India and he was also the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.

Also Read: India is playing a very major role in the world, says Ambassador Hans Dannenberg Castellanos

Why the need to open a mission in DR?

India is working towards increasing its presence in the region as well as tapping new markets for expanding its exports basket of goods and services.

And opening up of a new mission is in line with the government’s ‘Sabka SaathSabka Vikas’ policy.

Views of Ambassador Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, who represented his country for 15 years in India:

Sharing his views from Moscow with Financial Express Online, Ambassador Castellanos says, “I’m quite ecstatic. When I saw yesterday the presentation of credentials of the new Indian resident ambassador to the Dominican Republic, the fact that India has opened an embassy in the Dominican Republic is very significant to me personally. Because when I opened our embassy in India 15 years ago, that was one of the requests we had reciprocity in the fact that India should open an embassy in our country.”

Bilateral Relations

“The relations developed very well during the last 15 years, and India has now become the fourth largest trade partner with our country. India also has been in the forefront of any issues that my country requires assistance. For example, during the beginning of the COVID pandemic, India was the first country to donate Hydroxychloroquine to our population. And later we received the first batch of vaccines from India.

We have seen that India and the Dominican Republic have very similar values, family values, that we can strategically be a very good partner in the Caribbean and Central American region for India. And we welcome this opening of this embassy as a possibility of growth in our bilateral relations and of growth of the Indians presence in the region,” he says.

According to him, “There were many Latin American countries that had opened embassies in India. And India had not reciprocated with a resident mission in the country. For a small Latin American country opening a new mission is very significant and somehow costly. And the fact that we have all, almost every Latin American country in the region having a mission in Delhi, shows that all of us believe in the growth of India and the economic growth and the economic impact that having a relationship with India can mean to the country. So, I cannot express in words how happy I was to see the opening of this embassy and I am sure that with the presence of India on a daily basis in our soil, the relations between our two countries will just continue to flourish. And many opportunities will be there both for Indian businessman and Dominican businessman, as well as growth in the people’s two people context and the diplomatic relations between our two countries.”

“It will definitely help building relationships between our two countries. And the fact that people will have a direct contact to coordinate any visits to also present any projects directly to the ambassador without having to go to a third country.”

Issuance of Visa

“For many years when Dominicans needed to obtain a visa for India, you had to go to Cuba or send your passport to Cuba. Having to send your passport to a third country to get an Indian visa was always an issue in the mindset of Dominicans. We all live on an island and we are very dependent on travel. Businessmen travel sometimes often for the day going to Puerto Rico or Miami for the day or travelling to other neighbouring islands or countries in Central America. It is the nature of being a national of an island. You travel for business; you travel to go purchase things you travel. For pleasure you send your kids to educate in foreign universities and you always want to have your passport with you in case of an emergency or an immediate need for travel. Having to send your passport to a third country to get an Indian visa was always an issue in the mindset of Dominicans.”

“Fortunately, Dominicans have the ability from some time now to take an electronic visa or visa on arrival. But anyway, there were certain categories of visas where we were required to go to Cuba at that time where the mission was covering my country in order to obtain that visa. This became very costly for Dominican nationals. Having an embassy, having a diplomatic staff, that embassy will just jumpstart any projects between our two countries. So I definitely believe that this physical presence in one country is always positive, and will always trigger economic growth and economic development for the bilateral relations,” he explains.

Areas of interest

There is huge potential for trade between the two sides.

Also Read: India expands its presence in the Latin America & Caribbean Region; New Indian missions start operations next month

Ambassador David Emmanuel Puig of Dominican Republic to India in an earlier interaction had lauded the opening of a new mission in his country and had said that the move was significant as it was a message that India is recognizing the middle sized countries.

Besides pharmaceuticals, the two sides can work together in sectors including building of nano satellites, tourism, Space exploration, climate change, renewable energy, infrastructure projects, textiles, IT, Artificial Intelligence & Cyber security, vaccines, tropical medicines, oceanography and climate change.