Thaindian News

New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) The Caribbean nation of Dominican Republic Friday said it looked forward to deepening and strengthening ties with India, saying both had lots in common.President Leonel Fernandez said in a lecture at Sapru House here: “The Dominican Republic looks forward to strengthening and deepening relations with India, with which we have too much in common, from the struggle for independence, including the fight for pride and dignity.

“We respect Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru not only for what they have done for India but also for their contribution to the world,” he said.

The lecture was organised by the Indian Council for World Affairs, the internal think tank of the external affairs ministry.

The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. It has a population of 9.65 million.

Fernandez said the Dominican Republic, with a free trade agreement (FTA) with the US, was an attractive platform for Indian businesses to target the American markets.

“The FTA is highly beneficial. It allows duty free access to the US markets,” he said.

“There is great potential for tourism between the two countries,” he said, noting that the Dominican Republic was the largest tourist destination in the Caribbean.

Fernandez also initiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Dominical Republic-based Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and the Indian Council for World Affairs.

The president called for a permanent linkage between thinkers and intellectuals of both countries, stating that development studies was a suitable focus to deliberate upon.

“We have many creative and innovative solutions being provided for development issues by countries like Brazil in India. I think that needs to be better understood,” he added.