President Hipólito Mejía was honored yesterday during his visit to the Parlamento Centroamericano in Guatemala. He was also recognized for participating in the Central American, Belize, Dominican Republic and Canada Heads of State and Government Summit in Guatemala. During the event, the president of the Parlacen, Jose Ernesto Somarriba Sosa and former presidents Carlos Roberto Reyna, Armando Calderón Sol had praise for the Dominican statesman. Armando Calderón, the former president of El Salvador praised the leadership qualities of President Mejía and expressed hopes for a strengthening of the ties between the DR and Central America. Congressman Américo Cifuentes highlighted the importance of the participation of the DR in the project to create the Great Caribbean. They also spoke highly of the 8% growth rate of the DR economy, and of the success of Punta Cana as a tourism destination, which they said is a model for the region. President Mejía is continuing the new foreign policy begun in 1996 by former President Leonel Fernández. For background information on this policy, see http://206.105.233.238/english/serex/serex_foreign_alliance.htm In Guatemala, President Mejía said he firmly believes that the integration of the Caribbean and Central America is essential to break isolationism and guarantee the survival in today’s global world of the small countries that make up the region. The DR, nevertheless, is the only signatory country of the Central American free trade agreement to not have ratified the agreement. The Dominican Congress is still dragging its heels on the bill. Earlier, on Tuesday, 19 September, President Mejía had sent a letter to the Senate requesting the passing of the free trade agreement with Central America. In the letter, he urged that it be passed this year so that it can be effective in January. President Mejía conditioned the passing of the bill to congressional approval of the tariffs reform and fiscal income compensation bills. These bills have more than two years in Congress. Mejía is of the same political party as the majority of the congressmen, so prospects for the passing of the bill are looking better than under the Fernández administration.
