British ambassador in Santo Domingo, Steven Fisher has informed Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso of his government’s interest in having the Dominican Republic take part again at the eighth London Forum, planned to be held next 8 June, so as to discuss with the remaining countries in the Caribbean ways of increasing trade and investment, as well as to strengthen cooperation links in the area of security.

Ambassador Fisher indicated that the meeting would again be presided over by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, and on this occasion would include additional meetings with the Prime Minister, David Cameron and members of the British Parliament.

The Dominican foreign minister expressed his gratitude for the invitation, stressing the close links of friendship and cooperation that had existed for many years between the peoples and governments of the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom.

Ambassador Cuello Camilo noted that the Dominican Republic became a full member of the UK-Caribbean Forum as from the seventh meeting in Grenada in January 2012, as a result of an instruction from Foreign Minister Morales Troncoso implemented by the Dominican Embassy in London. 

Morales Troncoso, a former president of the CARIFORO and current pro-tempore president of the Central American Integration System (SICA), thanked Britain for its support for the cooperation agenda between Central America and the Caribbean, promoted by the Dominican Republic since 1996, and also  noted the country’s trade surplus with the United Kingdom as a result of a thriving export of fruit and fresh produce, gourmet cocoa, cigars, disposable medical products, rum, and in particular the surge in British tourists coming to the Dominican Republic, up from 95,000 in 2012 to 115,000 in 2013.