Dominica Expands Its Worldwide Diplomatic Ties

The Commonwealth of Dominica continues to strengthen its international ties, as reflected by its recent agreement with Syria establishing mutual diplomatic relations.

The signing ceremony took place on 07 March 2022 at the headquarters of the permanent delegation of Syria to the United Nations in New York City, United States.

Their respective Permanent Representatives formalised the diplomatic commitment between the two countries to the United Nations, namely: Loreen Bannis-Roberts (Permanent Representative of the Commonwealth of Dominica to the United Nations) and Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh (Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations).

According to Ambassador Sabbagh of Syria, the Commonwealth of Dominica and Syria share the desire of continuing to pursue multifaceted bilateral communication with each other, with the official signing of the agreement establishing diplomatic relations as a prelude towards this goal.

Additionally, cooperation and coordination on multiple areas of focus and increased mutual support on international forums are also representative cases of joint actions that are prospected to further grow in future outlooks.

Similarly, Ambassador Roberts of the Commonwealth of Dominica spoke very positively of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations by expressing the keenness of the Commonwealth of Dominica on discovering and developing all possible opportunities for bilateral cooperation across a varied range of realms.

Notably, the agreement signed by Dominica and Syria provides an example of the intention of both countries in adhering to the Charter of the United Nations and the universal principles that it stipulates regarding friendly relations between the Member States, in addition to their willingness in exchanging experience for mutual benefit and complying to the high standards presented by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations for the maintenance of bilateral partnerships.

Formalising diplomatic relations between the Commonwealth of Dominica and Syria represents another step for the so-called ‘Nature Isle’ of the Caribbean towards the expansion of its bilateral relations across the globe by bolstering the popularity of the island on a global sphere and enabling the nation to have strong travel prospects in several regions around the world.

Syria is, in fact, one of the several locations in the list of Middle Eastern countries with which Dominica has improved diplomatic ties and travelling arrangements over time, which recently included Kuwait in 2021 and the United Arab Emirates since early 2020. This significantly makes the Commonwealth of Dominica also favourably placed to develop global businesses and create strong ties with international communities.

The Commonwealth of Dominica gained political independence from Britain and earned membership in the United Nationals in 1978. Therefore, the country has almost half a century of experience as a player in the global arena, building the foundations for further national development.

As a Small Island Developing State, Dominica is also readily prepared for potential social and economic vulnerabilities that may affect it and its neighbouring countries through the consistent revenue to finance the projects funded by the country’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme.

Initiatives subsidised by the direct foreign investment transferred through Dominica’s CBI Programme contribute to the island’s education and tourism sector, healthcare infrastructure, and the creation of environmentally friendly resorts and villas and hurricane-resistant homes for Dominican families.

Citizenship by Investment programmes offers the opportunity to legally acquire citizenship of a country in return for a contribution to a government fund of that country or investment in one of its pre-approved real estate projects.

CBI programmes ultimately provide a unique occasion for investors wishing to access increased business opportunities and countries that may benefit from foreign direct investment to assure broader economic growth to their citizens.