The President of Colombia, Ernesto Samper has accepted an official invitation from President Leonel Fernández to visit the Dominican Republic at the end of this month. The visit is part of President Leonel Fernández’s international scheme to impede that the DR continue to be used as the third link in the Colombia-Haiti-DR-Puerto Rico-US route that drug traffickers are resorting to now more frequently after efforts to reduce contraband through the Mexico-US border have been successful. Drug trafficking will be a major issue on the agenda of President Fernández when he meets with President Rene Preval in Port-au-Prince on Thursday, 18 June. Because of the weak institutions in Haiti, drug traffickers are increasingly using that country to introduce drug contrabands that later are transported by land to the DR for subsequent shipment to Puerto Rico and then to the continental US. The DR has requested technological assistance from the US to combat the drug contraband along the almost 300 kilometer frontier with Haiti. President Fernandez just returned from visiting President Bill Clinton in Washington, D.C. following an invitation from the US statesman. The invitation was reportedly made after President Clinton heard President Fernández speak at the United Nations Drug Summit in New York City. The Listín Diario reports that President Fernández wants to make concrete proposals of joint actions to the President of Colombia, after meeting in Haiti with President Rene Preval. The meeting is in line with the regional leadership role that President Leonel Fernández has successfully undertaken. Other regional statesmen that are expected to visit Santo Domingo this year include President Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico and President Fidel Castro of Cuba. Castro will joint chiefs of state from the Caribbean that will gather in Santo Domingo for the expected signing of a free trade agreement and celebration of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the city of Santo Domingo in August of this year.
