Spanish
Madrid.— The Dominican Republic's ambassador to Spain, Tony Raful, and the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations, Elma Saiz Delgado, held a working meeting in which the main issues of the bilateral agenda on labor migration, social inclusion and technical cooperation were addressed.
During the meeting, both parties agreed to highlight the excellent bilateral relationship, supported by more than twenty current treaties, as well as the strong Spanish presence in the Dominican Republic, with investments in tourism, banking and infrastructure and a consolidated cultural and consular cooperation.
In the migratory field, Minister Elma Saiz proposed that the Dominican Republic be part of the first pilot project of circular labor migration developed under the Global Skill Partnerships model, an innovative mechanism promoted by the World Bank that links skills training at origin with job opportunities at destination. This approach seeks to guarantee orderly mobility and shared benefits, avoiding the loss of human capital in the countries of origin and responding to the needs of the Spanish labor market.
Alongside this proposal, it was agreed to convene an exploratory technical meeting to define pilot projects adaptable to the Dominican reality, establish a joint roadmap that articulates the Letter of Intent on Circular Labor Migration of 2021 and the Memorandum of Understanding on Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations of 2022, as well as appoint permanent focal points in the Ministry and in the Embassy to ensure the continuity and follow-up of the initiatives.
In social terms, the contribution of the Dominican community in Spain was valued, which, at the end of 2024, reached 201,162 people, consolidating itself as the second largest abroad. Its role in social cohesion, remittances, and the strengthening of historical ties reaffirms its importance within Dominican foreign policy.
Furthermore, synergies were explored with the pilot projects of the Spanish Ministry linked to the Minimum Vital Income, proposing to advance in knowledge transfer, technical training, design of inclusion itineraries in Dominican municipalities and in the establishment of common indicators to measure results in inclusion, employment and social cohesion. The creation of a bilateral mechanism of good practices was also agreed upon, consisting of a permanent technical forum and professional exchange programs.
Spanish cooperation in the Dominican Republic was recognized as a fundamental pillar of the relationship, particularly for its impact on key sectors such as education, water, and rural development.
Finally, both parties reaffirmed their willingness to strengthen coordination channels and jointly prepare for participation in the next Ibero-American Summit, where migratory challenges will be addressed from co-responsibility and mutual recognition of qualifications.
In the meeting, Blanca Breñosa Sáez de Ibarra, Deputy Director of International Relations of the Ministry of Inclusion; Macarena Álvarez, Director of Cabinet; Minister Counselor Esmeldy Belliard, Deputy Head of Mission, and Second Secretary Francisco Solimán, as part of the Dominican delegation, also participated.
