Guyanese Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo and President Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Republic on Tuesday agreed on the need to strengthen relations and build confidence between CARICOM and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean country following its request for membership.

In that regard, it was proposed that a joint workshop be held on the functioning of CARICOM and that both sides sit together to discuss collaboration in the area of multi-destination tourism, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported yesterday. And Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso announced subsequently that it was agreed that in September, Santo Domingo, capital of the Dominican Republic, would host the workshop.

It was also proposed to have their private sector organizations explore how best to take advantage of the  opportunities offered by the EPA.

Jagdeo arrived on Tuesday afternoon at the Las Americas International Airport in the Dominican Republic  on a one-day visit to the country to meet with his counterpart, President Fernández.

From the airport, Jagdeo moved to the National Palace to hold a working lunch with  Fernández and Foreign Minister Troncoso.

According to GINA, the wide ranging discussions addressed relations and cooperation between CARICOM and the Dominican Republic which in March this year re-submitted its application for membership of CARICOM.

In this regard President Fernandez reaffirmed the interest of his country in membership of the Community with which it shares a number of common concerns and interests.

The discussions, GINA stated,  touched on the effects of the global financial and economic crisis, implementation of the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed last year, governance of CARIFORUM, security and climate change.

Meanwhile, the two presidents also underlined the importance of strengthening people to people contacts through cultural, sport and academic links and the critical importance of President Fernandez interfacing with his CARICOM colleagues was reiterated.

The Dominican Republic, which sources coconut and wood from Guyana, has a population of nearly 10 million people and would represent a very large addition to CARICOM, GINA noted.

Foreign Minister Troncoso said also that regional drug trafficking issues would be discussed during the meeting, prior to a United Nations sponsored meeting on the subject. It was announced that the Dominican Republic is also seeking good governance agreements, in both the services and farm sectors.

Travelling with President Jagdeo are Manniram Prashad, Minister of Tourism and Industry and Commerce, Colin Granderson, Assistant CARICOM Secretary-General, Foreign and Community Relations, and David Hales, CARICOM Foreign and Economic Relations Director,  GINA said.