First Delegation of New York State Senators and Assemblymembers to Visit the Dominican Republic Senate

For several months, my office has been working on a historic visit to the Senate of the Dominican Republic. We have had the support of several elected officials and colleagues from the New York State Senate and Assembly including the following attendees: New York State Senators Gustavo Rivera, Leroy Comrie, Assamblymembers Al Taylor and Phil Ramos.

For the first time, a delegation from the New York State Senate will be visiting counterparts in the Senate of the Dominican Republic, and in our upcoming legislative session, we will be hosting the first delegation of Senators from the Dominican Republic to visit us in the New York State Capitol in Albany.

Thanks to the leadership of Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and the leadership of the President of the Senate of the Dominican Republic, Eduardo Estrella, and with Senator Alexis Victoria Yeb of the Dominican Republic, we have been able to achieve this exchange of ideas and experiences with the legislative body of this brother country.

The delegation trip commences on Monday, August 29th with a broad work agenda that will allow us to share ideas and strengthen our ties of friendship with our colleagues in the Senate of the Dominican Republic. During the trip, we will also visit the Honorable Mayor of Santo Domingo, Carolina Mejia, and the Honorable Minister of Tourism, David Collado. Our agenda also includes a visit to civic assistance organizations and places of interest for the development of our commercial, tourist, educational, and cultural relations.

I would like to give special thank you to Dominican Senator Alexis Victoria Yeb for his efforts and dedication in this important and historic collaboration. In addition, to all the elected officials from the Great State of New York who will be accompanying us on this trip. In both New York State and the Dominican Republic, we recognize the importance of working for the well-being of all of our communities.

This visit will help us to continue to expand our knowledge on how to better serve a community that has given us so much and that contributes to the betterment of our Great State.

State Senator Gustavo Rivera said: “I want to thank Senator Luis Sepulveda for leading this Bronx delegation to an official trip to the Dominican Republic. I proudly represent a large number of Dominicans in my district and this trip will be incredibly important in our efforts to better serve the Dominican diaspora in our State.”

State Senator Leroy Comrie said: “By way of historic connections and by family connections, the 900,000 Dominican Americans who call New York State home link our shared communities to the Dominican Republic. Our NYS Senate delegation trip to the Dominican Republic will work to create significant bonds with an eye towards strengthening trade and investment, cultural exchange, and the many commonalities that unite us. I look forward to working together, the NYS Senate and the Senate of the Dominican Republic to further the well-being of the communities we represent.”

Assemblymember Al Taylor said: "It is an honor to return to the Dominican Republic with my New York State government colleagues for this historic visit to the Senate of the Dominican Republic. The Dominican people have made innumerable contributions to the City of New York and to the United States of America, and I am proud to represent a district with such a strong and vibrant Dominican community. I look forward to continuing building bridges between our nations and to welcoming the Dominican delegation during the upcoming legislative session. Thank you to everyone who made this exciting cross-cultural collaboration a reality."

Assemblymember Phil Ramos said: “I am honored to be part of this delegation to bridge the international legislative forces between New York State and the Dominican Republic for the purpose of improving the quality of life of the Dominican constituent who’s interest we both share.”