Visiting political scientist Howard Wiarda (http://www.csis.org/html/4wiarda.html) attributed the outstanding Dominican growth to the diversification of the economy. He said the DR has five strong growth areas: tourism, free zones, telecommunications, remittances of Dominican living abroad, and construction that have added great dynamism to the local economy. He said a combination of political and economic stability has made the country attractive to foreign investors. This is Wiarda’s 24th visit to the DR. A Professor of the University of Massachusetts and the Center for Strategic International Studies of Washington, he has been a counselor to four US Presidents, Vice President George Bush, private foundations, companies and government agencies. His relation with the DR began in 1962, when he traveled to Santo Domingo to research his doctoral thesis on the Trujillo Era. One of his sons was born in Santo Domingo. In an interview with El Siglo, he said that his fascination with the DR is because it has all a political scientist loves to research: years of authoritarianism, years of democratical transition, US intervention, dependency, a modern and urban society and political stability that makes it attractive to foreign investors, plus its opening to global markets. Wiarda will be speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Relations Diplomacy School tonight at 7 pm on "The US, Latin America and the Caribbean, International Relations in the 21st Century. To attend, call 535-6280 ext. 2303 and 2371. Wiarda published an article on the Dominican Republic last year that can be read at http://www.csis.org/americas/pubs/hemvii4.html
