President Luis Abinader returned on Monday evening to the Dominican Republic. President Luis Abinader took advantage of his trip to Ecuador for the inauguration of President Guillermo Lasso to meet with the high-ranking US State Department delegation. As reported, Abinader held a bilateral meeting to discuss matters of mutual interest. The United States was represented in Ecuador by its ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, head of the delegation; Michael J. Fitzpatrick, ambassador to Ecuador; Julie Chung, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the Department of State, and Juan Gonzalez, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council, also participated in the meeting. The DR was represented by President Abinader, Foreign Minister Roberto Alvarez and Dominican Ambassador to Ecuador, Milady Cuello Ortiz de Cabral.
Also present in Ecuador was Haiti President Jovenel Moïse.
Haiti Libre reported that Moïse also met with the US delegation led by US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas.
According to Haiti Libre, after this meeting UN Spokesperson Olivia Dalton declared: “Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield met today with Haiti President Jovenel Moïse. She conveyed deep concern regarding Haiti’s ongoing political impasse, a lack of accountability for human rights violations, and deteriorating security conditions.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield noted that to date, preparations for the constitutional referendum scheduled for June 27 have not been sufficiently transparent or inclusive, and reiterated that Haiti must hold free, fair, and transparent legislative and presidential elections in 2021.
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield stressed that the Haitian people deserve the right to choose their leaders and have a government that serves them. President Moïse affirmed his commitment to holding elections on that timeline.”
Haiti Libre reported that President Jovenel Moïse informed: “I met in Quito with the American delegation led by the American Ambassador to the UN. The discussions focused on the electoral process and constitutional reform. We informed the Ambassador that the 1987 Constitution is a source of instability. During my meeting with the American delegation, I took the time to remind the Ambassador that my Administration takes great interest in relations between Haiti and the United States. A friendly country that is always ready to support Haiti in difficult times.”
President Moïse tweeted he had met with President Abinader during the inauguration and addressed several pending issues. “I had a very productive meeting with President @luisabinader. I informed him about the progress of the constitutional reform, a campaign promise. The issue of the construction of the dam on the Massacre River was also discussed during this meeting.”
The Dominican Presidency has not reported on the meeting with President Moïse. Meanwhile, the Dominican government has been reporting on the enhancing of security on the border with Haiti.
Read more in Spanish:
Presidency
El Dia
24 May 2021