A bilateral agreement aimed at strengthening cooperation in trade, regional transportation, health, and culture will be signed in June 2026 between the Virgin Islands (VI) and the Dominican Republic (DR). During a bilateral meeting in Santiago, Chile, VI Special Envoy Mr E. Benito Wheatley and Hugo Rivera, Vice Minister for Economic Affairs and International Cooperation for the Dominican Republic, expressed their commitment to signing the agreement on behalf of their respective countries. Photo: Internet source

The partnership between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands countries aims to leverage the Dominican Republic’s position as an economic hub to foster regional integration, with upcoming trade missions planned to enhance cooperation. Photo: Internet Source

Final stages 

Mr E. Benito Wheatley, Special Envoy for the Virgin Islands, stated, “We are in the final stages of planning for the signing of this bilateral agreement in June by our political leaders, which will boost our trade and deepen our cooperation in other critical sectors. I was very pleased to meet once again with Honourable Rivera, with whom I remain closely engaged in advancing bilateral relations between the BVI and the Dominican Republic.”

During a bilateral meeting in Santiago, Chile, VI Special Envoy Mr E. Benito Wheatley and Hugo Rivera, Vice Minister for Economic Affairs and International Cooperation for the Dominican Republic, expressed their commitment to signing the agreement on behalf of their respective countries.

VI supports DR initiative

Among other significant highlights of the meeting, the two countries discussed a Dominican Republic initiative for the economic integration of the Greater Caribbean. 

They emphasised the need to accelerate regional integration between Latin America and the Caribbean in order to drive higher trade flows and enhance the region’s economic resilience against external shocks.

Wheatley stated that the Virgin Islands supports this initiative and pledged to collaborate with the Dominican Republic through the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) to promote deeper regional integration.

VI to leverage DR as economic hub

The partnership between the two countries aims to leverage the Dominican Republic’s position as an economic hub to foster regional integration, with upcoming trade missions planned to enhance cooperation.

As previously reported by VINO in June of last year, the Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), stated that the Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic have reaffirmed the economic significance of the Greater Caribbean as the region seeks to enhance its economic dynamism and resilience.