In a historic diplomatic milestone that marks the first visit by a Dominican foreign minister to Canada in two decades, Dominican Foreign Minister Víctor “Ito” Bisonó and his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand gathered in Ottawa on Monday to formalize a new bilateral cooperation agreement focused on elevating civil aviation security standards. The core goal of this pact is to shield aircraft registered in both nations from unlawful interference and transnational serious crimes, addressing growing global concerns over aviation safety in post-pandemic air travel networks.
Under the terms of the newly signed agreement, the two countries have established a formal, structured framework for deploying specialized, professionally trained government security personnel on designated commercial flights operating between the Dominican Republic and Canada. This mechanism creates clear protocols for cross-border collaboration that did not exist previously, strengthening shared defense against emerging aviation security threats.
Beyond the aviation agreement, the two top diplomats used the high-level meeting to address pressing regional and bilateral priorities. A key topic on the agenda was the ongoing security and humanitarian crisis in neighboring Haiti, where widespread gang violence has destabilized the country and displaced hundreds of thousands of residents. Both officials underlined the urgent need for coordinated international cooperation to back ongoing efforts to restore constitutional order, security and long-term stability across Haiti. Bisonó specifically extended his gratitude to the Canadian government for its sustained diplomatic and logistical support to regional initiatives aimed at resolving the Haitian crisis.
diplomatic discussions also extended to expanding economic and trade ties between the two nations. Anand confirmed that the pair explored opportunities to strengthen bilateral supply chain resilience, boost mutual investment in critical minerals and clean energy projects, and upgrade transportation connectivity that benefits both leisure travelers and commercial enterprises operating across the two markets.
For his part, Bisonó emphasized the Dominican Republic’s unique competitive advantages in the Caribbean region, noting its strategic geographic position, robust existing air and maritime connectivity infrastructure, and untapped potential to serve as a major regional logistics and industrial hub linking North American, Caribbean and global commercial markets. This visit, the first by a Dominican foreign minister to Canada in 20 years, is expected to open a new chapter of deeper diplomatic, security and economic engagement between the two countries.