On behalf of the United States, I send warm wishes to the people of the Dominican Republic as you celebrate your Independence Day on February 27. As longstanding partners with shared democratic values, the Dominican Republic and the United States collaborate closely on a wide range of shared priorities, and we both benefit from expansive economic and people-to-people ties.

The Dominican Republic stands out as a defender of democracy, grounded in its commitment to fight corruption, promote transparent governance, and advance institutional reforms. The United States is proud to support these reforms, which will benefit all Dominicans for generations to come.

In the past year, the United States proudly contributed financial and technical assistance for the Dominican Republic’s effective and lifesaving COVID-19 response. The United States looks forward to deepening our collaboration with the Dominican government as we build back better in the coming year. We pledge to continue to strengthen our robust and wide-ranging bilateral agenda geared toward tackling corruption, combating socio-economic exclusion, promoting economic prosperity, and bolstering our strategic security partnership.

We congratulate all Dominicans on 178 years of independence.