US Senator Christopher Dodd, who was part of a Peace Corps mission in the Moncion, Monte Cristi in 1966, met yesterday with President Leonel Fernandez at the Presidential Palace. The US legislator pledged his support for the Free Trade Agreement signed with the Dominican Republic when it goes before the US Congress. As reported in Hoy newspaper, Dodd said that it is urgent that the congresses of both countries ratify the bill in the first months of 2005 before congressional elections are to take place.
Dodd was also present at the book launch at the Institute of Dominican Studies at City College in New York last week.
Dodd’s visit coincided with the very successful Christmas Arts & Crafts Fair held over the weekend at Columbus Park in the Colonial City. The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture and was co-sponsored by the Peace Corps and the IDDI non-governmental agency.
He said that when he asked Peace Corps volunteers working with Dominican people about how the country was doing, they told him there was a new feeling of optimism in the country. He said that while times are difficult in the DR and the United States, he felt that optimism was very important.