Danilo Medina and Minister of Foreign Relations Eduardo Latorre met with President Fidel Castro in Havana, Cuba. The Dominicans were in Cuba for the opening of the Dominican consulate that reopens formal relations with Cuba. Cuba had opened its consulate in Santo Domingo last December. During the meeting, Castro had praise for the government of President Leonel Fernández. "May I say, like the Pope said, that the world is opening to Santo Domingo and the world to the Caribbean," he said. Another member of the Dominican delegation to Cuba, Miguel Cocco, director of Customs Department, said that the opening of the Cuban consulate was a logical step as Dominican trade with Cuba is increasing. "We are selling almost everything to Cuba: soap, detergents, lubricants, edible oils… Cuba is a desirable market for the Dominican Republic and we are slowly conquering it, as the Cubans are conquering our market," he said. Manuel Jiménez, a Hoy newspaper columnist who covers government, speculated that President Clinton could be using the Dominican Republic as part of its strategy to re-establish trade relations with Cuba. The newspaper points to the presence of the Customs Director and the Secretary of the Presidency in Cuba, and the extensive comments on the strengthening of relations between Cuba and the DR as indications that something bigger is cooking. He speculated that President Fidel Castro could visit on occasion of the Caribbean Community summit set for Santo Domingo this fall and at that meeting Cuba could be integrated with the region. Experts have said continuously that it is in the better interest of U.S. business that relations with Cuba be re-established.
