In a high-level bilateral meeting at the Élysée Palace on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed France’s role as the “preferred partner” for the Dominican Republic’s urban transport infrastructure, a relationship spanning over two decades. The meeting, the third encounter between President Luis Abinader and his French counterpart, concluded with a firm commitment to launch the construction of the Santo Domingo Monorail this spring.
The monorail project will span 12 kilometers. The line is designed to connect the National District with Santo Domingo East in a matter of minutes, significantly alleviating congestion in the capital’s eastern corridor. Eventually, the mass transit system is intended to connect with Las Americas International Airport.
Funding for the massive undertaking will be facilitated through the French Treasury and the French Development Agency (AFD) under preferential financing terms. This project is a pillar of the Abinader administration’s “Integrated Transport System,” which seeks to unify the Metro, Teleferico, and Monorail networks across Santo Domingo and Santiago.
President Macron characterized the Dominican Republic as a “key partner” in addressing global challenges. As reported by the Dominican Presidency, beyond infrastructure, the discussions touched upon several critical geopolitical and environmental issues:
Environmental crisis: Macron highlighted joint efforts to combat sargassum, the invasive seaweed severely impacting Caribbean tourism and ecosystems.
Regional security: Both leaders noted successful cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking in the Caribbean basin.
Haitian crisis: The presidents revisited the ongoing efforts for the pacification and democratization of Haiti.
Global conflict: Concerns were raised regarding the conflict involving Iran, with both leaders expressing alarm over the stability of the Middle East.
Historical context and cooperation roadmap
The meeting follows the signing of the 2025–2027 Cooperation Roadmap with the AFD exactly one year ago. Over the past 27 years ago, the AFD has been instrumental in financing the expansion of the Santo Domingo Metro and Cable Car (Teleférico) in the Dominican Republic.
Based on the 2026 General State Budget (Law No. 99-25) and current financial reports, the Santo Domingo Monorail is part of a massive surge in public infrastructure spending. The 2026 budget allocates US$450 million (RD$28 billion) for the Phase I (of the Sato Domingo Monorail (East-DN Corridor, from Centro Olimpico Juan Pablo Duarte to Juan Carlos Bridge).
As ratified in Paris, the project is backed by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Treasury under preferential terms. The monorail is designed to transport 306,000 passengers daily across a 12-km elevated viaduct, reducing travel time to 18 minutes.
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El Dia
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Reuters
25 March 2026