Dominican Republic eager to strengthen ties with Guyana

Dominican Republic (DR) Ambassador to Guyana, Ernesto Torres-Pereyra, has hailed Guyana’s emerging oil economy as the most promising in the world and expressed enthusiasm about strengthening bilateral collaborations between the two nations.

He expressed this view during a recent sit-down with Ignite Insights television, where he highlighted various areas in which the two countries seek meaningful collaborations.

The Ambassador noted that since the establishment of the Guyana-DR Embassy in 2023, cooperation between the two countries has grown exponentially, with the DR offering its experience and expertise across various levels of the partnership.

Guyana and the DR have signed around 10 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for cooperation in areas such as tourism, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, trade, and defence and security.

“There are areas where we believe we can add significant value to Guyana because we have already developed certain industries, and we can probably serve as a guide. For example, in the area of tourism, which is now booming in Guyana.”

Given the experience of major corporations such as the Puntacana Group, Ambassador Torres-Pereyra believes significant value could be added to the local industry, as they have pioneered sustainable tourism in the DR’s Punta Cana region, developing a resort and real estate community, while focusing on environmental protection and community development through its foundation.

He also reminded that Guyana and the DR intend to sell their tourism packages as a unified product but emphasised the need for Guyana to continue improving the quality of its services.

“I think Guyana needs to raise its standards in service and hospitality, develop its tourism infrastructure, and envision joint destinations with Caribbean countries like the Dominican Republic because we are not competing at all,” he said. “The products offered by the two nations are completely different.”

Regarding agriculture, the Ambassador mentioned key crops such as rice and sugar. He believes that together, the two countries could develop a strategy for regional food security, including the development of key infrastructure such as major ports and connectivity networks within the country.

With an estimated population of 12 million citizens and over 10 million tourists annually, the Ambassador stated that the DR is eager to share its successes with Guyana.

So far, the DR is incredibly optimistic about the prospects and potential for collaboration, the Ambassador expressed.