President Danilo Medina hosted Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, 16 May 2017. The prime minister was received with a special ceremony at the entrance to the Presidential Palace by President Medina, Administrative Minister of the Presidency José Ramón Peralta, Foreign Minister Miguel Vargas, and legal advisor to the President Flavio Darío Espinal. Holness was accompanied by Jamaican Foreign Minister Kamina Jonson Smith and the chargé d’affaires of the Jamaican Embassy in the Dominican Republic, Thomas Allan Marley. Holness had visited previously for the inaugural of President Medina on 16 August 2017.
In a joint statement, the heads of government committed to increase trade and bilateral investment in a fair way and increase cooperation in tourism. There is the intention to draft a Memorandum of Understanding on Multi Destination Tourism in the short term. The backing of the Dominican Republic to Jamaica’s hosting the United Nations- World Tourism Organization Conference on Sustainable Tourism was also discussed. The event will be held 27-29 November 2017 and is the first time the conference is held in the Caribbean.
The heads of government agreed on promoting exchange programs for professors and students for increased language learning opportunities in both countries.
President Danilo Medina explained local efforts to regularize the status of undocumented foreigners.
The heads of government highlighted the importance of bilateral coordination for a regional agenda, to cover issues such as Brexit and the future of the ACP bloc of nations, with talks pending for a post-Cotonou agreement with the European Union.
The Jamaican prime minister and the Dominican president highlighted the traditional good relations between both countries united by geography and membership in hemispheric forums.
Holness expressed his interest in Medina administration social programs and following the meetings at the Presidential Palace would visit the Ciudad Juan Bosch, a 25,000 unit residential development carried out by the Medina administration. Holness was interested in learning how the Dominican Republic was implementing the trust mechanism for private investment in low cost housing to implement a similar program in Jamaica.
The Jamaican prime minister was also accompanied by the Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and Jamaican senator Aubyn Hill. Also participating was the Dominican ambassador in Jamaica, José Tomás Ares.
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Presidencia
17 May 2017
