After 11 years as Ambassador of the Dominican Republic in India, the dean of diplomats in India Hans Dannenberg shares his experience and recommendations for better relations between Latin American countries, including the Dominican Republic and India in an interview with Diplomatic Square.
He praised measures such as the forthcoming India-CELAC dialogue with Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the relatively new (created in 2011) intergovernmental mechanism for dialogue and political agreement with 33 member countries.
Dannenberg called for India to open more embassies in the region, pointing out that despite major advances in relations, over the last 11 years, India has only opened one embassy in Latin America, in Guatemala. The Dominican Republic is served from an Embassy in Havana. He says the opening of an embassy, even with a staff of one or two diplomats, facilitates everything, from visas to people-to-people contact, business and trade. Dannenberg also congratulated the Indian government for implementing programs for visa upon arrival whereby Dominicans can be issued their visa upon arrival when the application is made online. Nevertheless, he said these are only single-entry visas.
Because of his extended term in India, Dannenberg is the dean of the diplomatic corps. He is also concurrent ambassador accredited to Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.
Dannenberg says that he has the satisfaction of having hosted the President of the Dominican Republic (Leonel Fernandez) and many ministers from the DR on official visits to India.
http://www.diplomaticsquare.in/ambassador-of-dominican-republic-flags-issues-inviting-pm-modis-attention/
