President Luis Abinader and New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a landmark agreement Tuesday, 11 November 2025, a press release from the Dominican Presidency announced. A Declaration of Intent was signed to strengthen the cultural, social, and economic bonds between the two governments. The pact establishes new areas of cooperation focusing on disaster preparedness, agricultural innovation, and economic development, aiming to spur sustainable and mutually beneficial growth.
The Declaration of Intent was formally signed by Governor Hochul and Foreign Relations Minister Roberto Álvarez, with President Abinader serving as a witness.
A core component of the agreement is the establishment of a collaborative partnership for the exchange of best practices, experiences, and innovative solutions to enhance disaster preparedness planning, emergency management programming, and training. Crucially, the pact explores the use of technical innovation strategies, including NUAIR drone surveillance, to assist in pre- and post-disaster assessments.
President Abinader emphasized that this new declaration will allow for the expansion of cooperation into vital areas such as security, leveraging new technologies like drones, as well as education, tourism, and health programs benefiting Dominicans residing abroad and those returning home.
“This framework agreement will allow us to work in all areas to have a more effective and efficient relationship between the Dominican Republic and that great state of New York, where many of our compatriots live today as doctors, police officers, and prominent professionals,” the President stated.
The head of state also expressed his satisfaction with Governor Hochul’s visit, underscoring the deep ties between the Dominican people and New York. “The Dominican Republic has a very special relationship with the United States, but with New York, it is an even closer relationship. Almost every Dominican has a story to tell, a family member, or an experience linked to that city.”
President Abinader specifically recognized the role of US congressman Adriano Espaillat, hailing him as a fundamental bridge between the two governments.
New York: A partner in prosperity
For her part, Governor Hochul affirmed that the relationship between New York State and the Dominican Republic is currently at one of its strongest points, sustained by cultural, familial, and economic ties. She lauded the more than one million Dominicans in New York, describing them as a hardworking community dedicated to the progress of both their homeland and their adopted state.
“New York State and the Dominican Republic share a deep, enduring bond rooted in community, culture, and opportunity,” Governor Hochul said. “This mission represents our shared commitment to forge a collective future defined by innovation, inclusion and global partnership. From expanding trade opportunities for New York small businesses to exploring groundbreaking drone technologies that can improve and save lives across borders, this collaboration will deliver real results for both of our economies and our people.”
“It is one of the largest Dominican communities outside of this great country, full of people with dreams of building a better life for their families,” Hochul said.
In a move to boost commerce, the Governor announced that the Dominican Republic will be the next anchor destination for the Global New York Program, an initiative promoting investment, innovation, and bilateral trade.
The New York Governor Office reports that the Empire State Development’s Global NY program will lead an official trade mission in 2026 to the Dominican Republic, connecting New York-based small and medium-sized enterprises with qualified buyers, distributors and business partners across the Caribbean nation. The mission aims to expand export opportunities, strengthen bilateral trade, and promote long-term collaboration between New York and Dominican companies.
“This agreement will connect entrepreneurs and investors in sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and technology, including drones and artificial intelligence,” Hochul explained. “When the Dominican Republic prospers, New York prospers as well.”
To strengthen climate resilience and emergency response, Governor Hochul committed to sending a training mission of emergency management experts and applied technology specialists from New York to collaborate with Dominican authorities on using drones and other disaster response equipment. The agreement also provides the potential for Dominican institutions to access surplus state equipment at reduced costs.
Furthermore, a multi-year academic alliance between New York and Dominican universities will be launched to foster research and training on infrastructure resilience and sustainable development. “It is about solidarity,” Hochul affirmed. “We cannot stop the storms, but we can save lives, rebuild faster, and ensure our children have a safer, better future.”
A multi-year partnership with the State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY) to advance research, educational excellence and share solutions on climate change, infrastructure resilience, meteorology, emergency management and public administration.
The signing ceremony was attended by U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat, New York Senator Luis Sepúlveda, Dominican Consul General in New York Jesús Vázquez Martínez, and Dominican Ministers of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Franklin García Fermín, and Housing and Buildings, Carlos Bonilla, among other officials.
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12 November 2025