Deputy Secretary of State for the Caribbean and Central America John Hamilton visited President Leonel Fernández yesterday. His visit came at a time when the U.S. has not yet replaced Ambassador Donna J. Hrinak who left for an ambassadorial post in Bolivia on 12 December 1997. Speaking to the press after his interview with the President, Hamilton said that the delays in appointing the ambassador are due to the U.S. bureaucracy and nothing out of the ordinary. He said his visit was routine. He pointed out that the Dominican Republic is the U.S.’s greatest trading partner in the region. Dominican exports to the U.S. were US$4,000 million in 1997, he said, which represented a significant increase over 1996. He said that the U.S. backs Dominican efforts to modernize and strengthen Dominican society, contributing to national plans in the areas of justice, civic education and health. Likewise, he pointed out that U.S. citizens of Dominican origin are making important contributions to U.S. democracy by participating in politics in the States.
