The highest ranking foreign guests that came for the Abinader inauguration in these Covid-19 times were President Jovenel Moise of Haiti and President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau.
Haiti is the Dominican Republic’s second most important trading partner. The Dominican Republic is home to around a million Haitian expats. Moise tweeted: “It has been a great pleasure to take part in the inauguration ceremony of the President-elect of the Dominican Republic, H.E. Mr. President. @luisabinader. My presence at this ceremony is an eloquent testimony to the friendship and solidarity that prevails between the Haitian and Dominican peoples.”
The Dominican Republic is a member of the African Caribbean Pacific bloc of nations for the European Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Africa was represented by the President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, a country in West Africa with 36,125 square km, slightly smaller than the Dominican Republic.
The United States was represented by US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and Michael G. Kozak, Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. The US is the Dominican Republic’s most important trading partner and where around two million Dominican expats live. On its website, the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic listed the many reasons why the international relations between the DR and the United States are the most important.
The Spanish Minister of Foreign Relations María Arancha González Laya came for the ceremony. Spain is the largest investor in tourism ventures in the Dopminican Republic. Turkey Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also attended the inauguration ceremony.
The Central American bloc of nations was represented by Lisandro Rosales Banegas, foreign relations minister in Honduras and Pedro Brolo Vila, foreign minister for Guatemala.
Other special guests included:
Zoran Djordjevic, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Policy of the Republic of Serbia.
Monsignor Ghaleb Bader, Apostolic Nuncio and head of the Special Mission sent by Pope Francis of the Vatican See.
US Representative Adriano Espaillat was also in one of the front rows for the 16 August Luis Abinader inauguration.
The Presidency hosted a lunch for the special guests at the Presidential Palace after the inaugural ceremonies.
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US Embassy
16 August 2020