President Leonel Fernandez will go on an eight-day tour of the United States starting Saturday, 19 September and ending on Sunday, 26 September. Fernandez plans to visit the cities of New York and Chicago, among others, on what will be his first trip to the US during this new administration, and his second trip abroad. Earlier this month, Fernandez travelled to Panama for the inauguration of President Martin Torrijos.
Next week, President Fernandez is scheduled to participate in the final day of the 7th Dominican American National Roundtable at the Great Hall of the City College of New York on Saturday, 19 September. The theme of this year’s conference is “Education and Civic Participation: Empowering Our Community Through Academic Knowledge and Active Citizenship.” See http://www.danr.org/
Next he will speak at the 59th United Nations General Assembly and participate in the Zero Hunger Program Summit. His itinerary also includes a luncheon hosted by President Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, together with the heads of state of France and Chile, among others.
On Tuesday, 21 September, President Fernandez is scheduled to meet with New York’s police commissioner, with whom a cooperative agreement will be signed to train Dominican police officers to fight organized crime. On the same day, he will attend a workshop for the “New York-Dominican Republic Strategic Alliance Project” and the launch of a book by the same name.
Wednesday, 22 September will see the Dominican head of state participating in a discourse organized by the former Mexican foreign relations minister, Jorge Castaneda. The event is titled “Voices of Latin America” and will take place at the University of New York. See http://www.nyu.edu/voices/
At 10am on Thursday, 23 September Fernandez will speak before the United Nations assembly, following which he will meet with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
That afternoon, he travels on to Chicago where he will meet with Cook County authorities, the governor of the state of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago. Nest on the agenda is a meeting with Chicago community leaders, followed by a get-together with members of Dominican Liberation Party in that city.