Minister of Foreign Relations Hugo Tolentino Dipp confirmed that President Mejia will travel to Port au Prince, Haiti for the inaugural of Haitian president-elect Jean Bertrand Aristide on Wednesday, 7 February. Reportedly, President Mejia will be the only head of state to attend the inaugural of Aristide. The Dominican Republic is also the country to have most at stake as it shares a frontier of more than 300 kilometers with Haiti. Notwithstanding, there has been much opposition to the trip in the DR and in Haiti. Minister Tolentino said, "Above all there are political relations that the two countries have to keep with tact, care and respect to our sovereignties." He explained that the two governments have a commitment to keep open a dialogue and work in harmony for the solution of common problems. High-ranking politicians within the ruling party in the DR, the PRD, have lobbied with the Haitian opposition seeking an agreement that would bring stability to Haiti. The Haitian opposition has threatened to inaugurate a parallel government. The DR is the most interested party in political, social and economic stability in Haiti. When things improve in Haiti, trade is up and migration of indigent Haitians is down. Ambassador Alberto Despradel said that President Mejia will travel to Haiti in the morning, leaving on the same day. It is the first time that a Dominican head of state attends an inaugural of a Haitian president. DR authorities are hoping for better relations with Aristide this time around. During his first seven month presidency in 1991, Aristide was known for his antagonistic statements against the DR in Haitian and international forums.
