1. Fernandez in the States
President Leonel Fernandez begins a two-week tour of the US that will take him to Miami, Washington, D.C., Boston and New York City. First on the President's agenda is a talk on trade and US-Dominican relations at the University of Miami in Coral Gables this Monday, 17 September. The event, organized by the University's Center for Hemispheric Policy, begins at 4:30pm at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 50 Alhambra Plaza. The fee is US$30 for the general public and free for UM academics and students with valid ID. To attend, contact
Isabel.artime@miami.edu or call 305 284-9918 for more information.
The President's trip also coincides with 15th Annual Dominican Week, organized by the Russin, Vecchi & Heredia Bonetti law firm. President Fernandez is on the program of events for that activity, which seeks to strengthen relations between the US and the DR.
The President's agenda continues with a Tuesday, 18 September 8:30am to 9:45am address on competitiveness and free trade at the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. The event is part of a series of activities for the American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA)'s Annual Meeting/Businessmen and Policy makers from the Western Hemisphere.
See
Event Detail
On Wednesday, 19 September, the President will be a speaker in the Washington, D.C. "Report Card on Education in Central America and the Dominican Republic" breakfast discussion organized by Inter-American Dialogue. The event will take place from 9:30am to 11am, at the Rayburn House Office Building B-318. This is part of a Partnership for Educational Revitalization in the Americas program in coordination with the Global Foundation for Democracy Development (GFDD). The event is by invitation only.
Later on the 19th, the President will be in New York City to attend the 2007 World Leadership Awards fundraising gala that will showcase world leaders who are being singled out for their contributions to improving lives in their regions at Guastavino's in New York City. President Fernandez is being honored by Counterpart International, in association with its Caribbean Media Exchange on Sustainable Tourism (CMEx), for "championing the cause of the needy and underprivileged."
On Thursday, 20 September, in New York City, President Fernandez is scheduled to participate in the opening of the Ministry of Industry & Commerce office in New York and meet with Dominicans studying on government-sponsored university scholarships in New York City.
On Thursday, 20 September, in New York City, President Fernandez will speak to an audience of investors and financial sector representatives on business and investment opportunities in the DR at the New York Yacht Club, 37 West 44th St (7:30-9:30pm), as part of Dominican Week activities.
Also on his agenda is a meeting on Friday, 21 September at Hunts Point Economic Development Corporation.
On Saturday 22 September, he will take part in an event highlighting the availability of bonds for housing in the DR for hundreds of New York-based Dominican families.
On Sunday, 23 September he is due to pitch the first ball at the New York Yankees vs. Blue Jays Toronto game at the Yankee Stadium.
He then travels to Boston on Sunday, where on the next day, 24 September he will be speaking at Harvard University.
On Tuesday, 25 September, he will be attending a breakfast meeting hosted by the United Nations Secretary General and meeting with visiting statesmen in NY for the UN 62nd General Assembly.
On Wednesday, 26 September, he will be a guest speaker at Columbia University in NY.
On Thursday, 27 September he will speak at the 62nd UN General Assembly.
He is also scheduled to attend a workshop organized by the Clinton Foundation.
Traveling with the President are First Lady Margarita Cedeno and Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso, Administrative Minister Luis Manuel Bonetti; Economy Minister Temistocles Montas, press secretary Rafael Nunez, and CEI-RD director Eddy Martinez, among others.
--I think he was still running on Dominican time. The speech itself was rather dry and topic of concern was "democracy" in Latin America. I wasn't able to stay for the Q&A, but the speech was definitely "pro-American" and catering to an American crowd. Nothing too juicy or controversial was discussed.