The 1990s meetings of Central American presidents, an important element of the Central American peace process, also focused on issues relating to the Central American Integration System. These meetings extended participation to include neighbouring countries such as Belize, the Dominican Republic and Panama.

At the III Extraordinary Meeting of Presidents of Central America held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from 5-7 November 1997, the presidents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, along with Belize, the Dominican Republic and Panama, signed a Declaration and a Framework Cooperation Agreement formally launching the enlargement of the Central American integration process. The declaration, in paragraph 11, expresses the intent to create a free trade area between Central America and the Dominican Republic and instructed the Ministers of Trade to initiate this process no later than the first trimester of 1998. This commitment was set out in the Santo Domingo Agreement of 6 November 1997, in which ministers from the Central American countries and the Dominican Republic agreed to negotiate a free trade agreement covering goods, services and investment, in which the entire tariff universe, with certain justified exceptions, would be immediately liberalized.

Negotiations were launched in February 1998 and the normative part of the agreement was signed on 16 April 1998. A Plan of Action for the implementation of the free trade agreement was set out to address remaining issues. Negotiations on the Plan of Action items concluded on 5 November 1998 and a Protocol containing these agreements was signed on 28 November 1998.

Documents relating to the negotiations
29 November 1998	Miami, USA. Protocol to the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement
27 November 1998	Central America-Dominican Republic free trade agreement to be signed on 28 November 1998
05 November 1998	San Salvador, El Salvador. Conclusion of Central America-Dominican Republic negotiations
16 April 1998	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Press release on the signing of the Central American-Dominican Republic free trade agreement framework
06 November 1997	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo Agreement
06 November 1997	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Framework Cooperation Agreement
06 November 1997	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Santo Domingo Declaration
Source: Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA)

On 14 March 2001 the Senate of the Dominican Republic approved the free trade agreement. On 4 October 2001 the free trade agreement entered into force between the Dominican Republic and El Salvador and between the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. On 19 December 2001 the agreement entered into force between the Dominican Republic and Honduras; on 7 March between the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica; and on 3 September 2002 between the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Documents relating to entry into force
03 September 2002	Free trade agreement enters into force for Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
07 March 2002	Free trade agreement enters into force for Dominican Republic and Costa Rica
03 October 2001	Free trade agreement enters into force of Dominican Republic and El Salvador
15 March 2001	Dominican Republic approves FTA with Central America
Source: Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (COMEX); Ministerio de Economía de El Salvador; Ministerio de Fomento, Industria y Comercio de Nicaragua; Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA)

Article 18-01 of the Agreement establishes an Administrative Council to oversee the implementation and operation of the Agreement. The first meeting of the Council took place on 3 September 2002. The Technical Committees created under the Agreement met on 30 October 2002.

On 10 August 2010, the Joint Administrative Council for the Central America-Dominican Republic FTA met to advance in the application of the agreement.

Meetings of the Administrative Council
10 August 2010	San Jose, Costa Rica. Meeting of the Joint Administrative Council for the Central America- Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement
21 February 2003	Second meeting of the Joint Administrative Council for the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement
30 October 2002	First meeting of technical committees of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement
03 September 2002	First meeting of the Joint Administrative Council for the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement
Source: Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (COMEX)

Decisions of the Administrative Council
06 September 2010	Decision No 16. Approval of the Rules of Origin for Chapters 52, 61, 62 and 63
06 September 2010	Decision No 15. Approval of the Dispute Settlement Roster (Chapter XVI)
06 September 2010	Decision No 14. Adequacy of the Specific Rules of Origin contained in Annex IV Specific Rules of Origin
05 August 2004	Decision No 13. Decision related to the Mutual Recognition of Medicines
21 February 2003	Decision No 11. Study and design of a technical cooperation plan in the area of patents
21 February 2003	Decision No 10. Approval of the code of conduct and model rules of procedure for dispute settlement
	Annex Decision No 10
21 February 2003	Decision No9. Approval of the rules and procedures of the Joint Administrative Council for the free trade agreement
	Annex to Decision No 9
21 February 2003	Decision No 8. Decision related to the mutual recognition of medicines
03 September 2002	Decision No 7. Allows States Parties to hold bilateral meetings
03 September 2002	Decision No 6. Confirmation of the Certificate of Origin
03 September 2002	Decision No 5. Confirmation of the tariff reduction schedules
03 September 2002	Decision No 4. Confirmation of the consultative committee on private trade disputes
03 September 2002	Decision No 3. Integration on national sections of the Secretariat
03 September 2002	Decision No 2. Formation of committees
03 September 2002	Decision No 1. Formation of the Joint Administrative Council
Source: Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (COMEX)

• Ministerio de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (COMEX)
• Ministerio de Economía de El Salvador
• Ministerio de Economía de Guatemala
• Ministerio de Fomento, Industria y Comercio de Nicaragua
• Secretaría de Integración Económica Centroamericana (SIECA)