Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul joined President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo to announce a historic agreement to reaffirm and strengthen the vibrant cultural, social, and economic connection between New York State and the Dominican Republic. A Declaration of Intent between both governments was signed to deepen cooperation in key areas including tourism, disaster preparedness, agricultural innovation and economic development.

B-ROLL of the Governor and President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic signing the memorandum of understanding is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Buenos días a todos. This is magnífico. It's so, so beautiful. First of all, I want to thank President Abinader for hosting us and my entire delegation - which has my husband, our first gentleman - also Adriano Espaillat, elected officials from the State of New York, my cabinet members, as well as a business delegation and labor leaders as well.

It is true that the relationship between our two peoples is rooted in culture, immigration, and in families. But over time it has grown into something even more powerful, a strong bond, and our economic partnership, and the President and I, we just spoke of - we have more opportunities to even deepen that relationship. And there are others who are counting on this.

This morning I had an opportunity to meet with significant business leaders from this great country, men and women who are defining this nation today and into the future. But we all see untapped opportunities waiting to be unlocked. And I have to tell you, as the Governor of the State of New York - Nueva York - I am so proud to have as their home, one million - one million, a large significant population of Dominicans residing in Nueva York. It's one of the largest Dominican communities outside this great country and it's filled with people with dreams for their families of having a life. But it is always keeping that connectivity back to the homeland, which touches me so deeply. And today, no matter how these Dominicans make their living, whether they're professors, teachers, doctors, small business owners, retail, grocery store owners, they send billions back here to support their families and schools and communities. So this unbreakable bond gives us an opportunity to find, as you heard, an opportunity for a new bridge.

And as the President and I signed this letter of intent, this Declaration of Intent, what we're going to do is talk about formalizing trade opportunities. As part of that agreement, the Dominican Republic will be the next flagship destination of our Global New York program, which is our opportunity to say that this is a place that matters. It is important to us strategically, economically, but also through the cultural ties that are so incredibly strong. We believe it'll bring together entrepreneurs and investors from both sides of that bridge.

Key sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and we've talked about drone technology and artificial intelligence and other ideas that can help propel us into the future. We also want to make it easier for New York products to meet Dominican markets and vice versa, and open doors for New York companies to invest here that'll create jobs for New Yorkers and Dominicans alike. Because when the Dominican Republic prospers, so does New York, and we feel that this is an opportunity that we must focus on today, but also must go beyond just dollars and cents. It also means that we have to protect the family, the extended family of our New Yorkers here on this island, from the threat of climate change and the horrific storms that are now making history.

When Hurricane Fiona struck in 2022, New York jumped into action. We mobilized resources to help the DR and other communities recover. Hurricane Melissa is the latest reminder that these severe storms do not respect any borders. So we must be prepared, and that is why we've just signed a Declaration of Intent between New York and the Dominican Republic, that is one to build resiliency, strengthen the emergency response, and to save lives. This is a roadmap, and what I'm committing to here today are some of the brightest, smartest individuals in this space in the entire United States, the people from my Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. They'll send a training mission here to support emergency responders. They'll share best practices using drones for disaster response in other ways. It'll clear the way for Dominican agencies to participate in our surplus equipment auctions, giving you access to life-saving tools at a fraction of the cost.

And we'll also launch a multi-year partnership between our higher educational institutions - the City of New York and the State University of New York and Dominican universities. That way we can expand research and development and training into infrastructure resilience and more. This is all about solidarity standing together. We can't stop the extreme weather. We can't stop the storms, but we know how to save lives. We can rebuild faster and make sure that our children can count on a safer, better future.

So let me conclude by saying this: We'll always be united as one, united by an indomitable spirit of the Dominican people. United by families and the unbreakable bonds, even though people are 1,500 miles apart. But what I have seen on my visit here since I arrived on Sunday night, first Santiago, and now this beautiful Capital city, I have seen that people have this deep, deep pride and love of their country and is that warmth that I saw in their faces as I walked the streets and visited their businesses. I see that same look of love in the Dominican Republic on the streets of New York. And now because our future is stronger - I will say this, we will work together, we'll work together, we'll work as one family, and that is my commitment to all of you.

Gracias a todos.

Contact the Governor's Press Office