The president of the Spanish government, Jose Maria Aznar, made an official visit to the D.R. on 3 September, meeting with President Leonel Fernandez on the 3rd and 4th before leaving on the 5th. Among the issues discussed between the two heads of state released in the news media were the increase in Spanish financial aid to the D.R., the fate of the members of the Basque terrorist group ETA currently living in the Dominican Republic, and the offer of Mr. Aznar to assist the government in the reduction of its institutions.
It was announced that the Spanish government will increase its financial aid to the D.R. from US$50 million to US$100 million, in addition to tripling its contribution to investments for particular development schemes, particularly in the area of electricity.
Mr. Aznar also gave Dr. Fernandez a detailed proposal for Spanish assistance in the reduction in personnel in government institutions and enterprises, one of the biggest challenges for the new government. As is being done by Mr. Aznar in his new government in Spain, the reduction in bureaucracy is a high priority for President Fernandez. Details of the plan were not released to the news media.
Commenting on the status of the ETA members living in the D.R. for the September edition of the Spanish magazine “El Siglo”, President Fernandez publicly said that he is not in favor of extraditing them to Spain, and that they should serve as “valid mediators” for the Spanish government to come to an agreement with the terrorist group. He pointed out that no official request from Spain has been received for an extradition of the “Etarras”, who arrived to the D.R. in 1989 under the terms of an agreement between former President of Spain, Felipe Gonzalez, and ex-President Joaquin Balaguer.
Although it was expected that the issue would be discussed between Mr. Aznar and Dr. Fernandez, no information surrounding the discussion of the Etarras’ fate was released to the news media.
On the last day of the meetings, the two heads of state signed the Programa Global de Cooperación Economica y Financiera which establishes RD$1,000 million in credits until 1997 for the purchase of Spanish goods and services.
The general agreements reached by Mr. Aznar and Dr. Fernandez, the discussion of which began in August during a visit by then President-elect Fernandez to Spain, call for Spanish financial cooperation for the D.R in the areas of education, government reform, tourism, the fight against poverty, economic and financial cooperation, and electricity.
The trip to the D.R. was the first official state visit made by President Aznar, who continued on to Mexico after leaving Santo Domingo.