The Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Kingston has inaugurated a new series of sectoral meetings named the “Dominican Embassy in Jamaica Roundtable,’’ which, it says, is aimed at the promotion of high-level dialogue between the Dom Rep and Jamaica.

The Dominican Ambassador to Jamaica Angie Martínez stated at the launch on May 17 that the roundtable aims to become a space for permanent dialogue “to discuss issues that allow us to advance our objective of strengthening ties and establishing what we have called the new era in bilateral relations between Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.”

Sectors targeted include the public sector, private enterprise, tourism, agri-business, construction, culture, academia, among others.

Martínez said that through the sectoral meetings, the embassy intends to achieve “concrete actions that contribute effectively to generating economic and commercial synergies of reciprocal benefits, further strengthening bilateral relations between both nations.”

She noted, “This May, in Jamaica, we celebrate National Exporters Month, so we decided to inaugurate this initiative with a high-level conversation with the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA), the most influential and relevant institution that caters to manufacturers and exporters in this Caribbean country, and a key partner in the efforts to achieve a win-win relationship, through more dynamic economic relations between the two countries,” said the international lawyer and career diplomat.

JMEA President John Mahfood said at the event that the neighbouring countries can support each other in the objective to strengthen their economies, through intra-regional trade, instead of going to more distant and more expensive markets.

The launch was held at the Official Residence of the Dominican Republic and was attended by majority of the board of the JMEA, including its new Executive Director Kamesha Blake, as well as members of the institution, represented by their owners and managers of leading companies in the food, pharmaceutical, non-alcoholic beverages, infusions, tea, furniture, construction, logistics and distribution sectors, among others.

Attendees, the embassy said in its press release, expressed a marked interest in doing business with the Dominican Republic, not only to export, but to obtain raw materials for their manufacturing operations, as well as to make investments in the Spanish-speaking country.

The embassy team explained to those present, the advantages of investing and expanding their businesses in the Dominican Republic.

At the end, Ambassador Angie Martínez reiterated that the Embassy of the Dominican Republic will be working to establish a new framework that mutually benefits commercial relations.