The Dominican government is spearheading an effort to receive from international organizations funding for major frontier development programs. The program seeks to improve investment and living conditions along the frontier. The DR will especially benefit by improvement in Haitian standards of living with a decrease in migration of indigent Haitians while at the same time an increase in potential Haitian buyers of Dominican products. Technical Secretary of the Presidency Temístocles Montás head the talks on behalf of the Dominican government, and Minister of Planning of Haiti, Anthony Dessources did so for Haiti. The program calls for the investment of US$280 million in apiculture, environment, transportation, communication, power supply, potable water, sewage, health, education, sports and pre-investment funds. During a ceremony at the Government Council Sessions Room of the National Palace, the program was presented by officers of both governments to international organization representatives. Temístocles Montás, Technical Secretary of the Presidency, said, "The distribution of the investments, on one or the other side of the frontier, far from being the results of a mathematical exercise, is based on an objective analysis of needs." He said that the strategy of investment of the Program for the Development of the Frontier Zone is based on the new focus of Haiti-DR bilateral relations begun in 1996. The new focus seeks to establish effective cooperation to jointly resolve common problems of the island and prepare for the challenges of an interdependent world. Present at the meeting among others were: Ambassador David Ward of Great Britain Ambassador of Spain Jose Manuel Lopez Barron Ambassador Stefano Alberto Canaversio, Italy Ambassador Bruno Picard, Canada Roger Leenders, delegate of the European Union Leopoldo Garza, deputy director USAID Marco Mantovanelli, representative World Bank Stephen McGaughey, IDB Paolo Oberti, UN Jean Marie Cherestal, Lomé-Haiti Max Puig, Lomé-DR
