Speaking to the press following a meeting with US Vice President Joe Biden at the Presidential Palace on Friday, 19 June, President Danilo Medina listed the key areas on the US and Dominican bilateral agenda and called for strengthening the relationship based on mutual respect and cooperation n reviewing regional security, drug trafficking, energy and trade.
With the Central American and Caribbean region a victim of the high demand for drugs in the United States, President Medina urged the US to continue to work with the region through the Central American Integration System (SICA) for security and called for joint initiatives, saying that this was crucial in order to fight drug trafficking. He also called for joint efforts to fight people smuggling and contain illegal immigration. He thanked the US for its support for the new 911 emergency system and for their continued support.
Medina highlighted the fact that the US is the Dominican Republic’s main trading partner. He raised the issue of the rising trade deficit with the United States following the signing of the DR-CAFTA free trade agreement. The US sells more than US$7 billion to the DR, and the DR exports are at around US$4 billion. “We are aware that DR-CAFTA presents great challenges because of the asymmetrical nature of our economies and called for fairness for local producers,” said Medina. He also addressed the threats to the economy presented by the US participation in the TransPacific Agreement (TPP) now being discussed. “We trust that the US will take our concerns into account and that we will not be forced to compete at a disadvantage in the US market”.
President Medina highlighted the ambitious projects underway for diversifying the energy generation matrix with an emphasis on increasing investment in renewable energy sources. He said the country values the US support for strengthening our self-sufficiency, and for finding a balance between clean energy and energy costs.
President Medina said that the Dominican Republic wants to be first in line when the US begins to export natural gas. Natural gas imports from OPEC-member countries are artificially high because they are pegged to crude oil prices. The DR sources most of its petrol from Venezuela and most of its natural gas from Trinidad and Tobago, both OPEC members. The US is not a member of OPEC and thus if authorized by the US Congress could sell LNG for much lower prices. The DR is increasing its power generation capacity based on LNG.
President Medina also spoke of the ties of friendship given that more than a million Dominicans live in the US, the same amount of tourists from the US visiting, and the estimated 250,000 US citizens who live in the DR. “These strong links lead to a responsibility for creating the best conditions for our citizens and expatriates,” he said.
He spoke about the 911 emergency system and said that it is working and wants to spread the project to other areas outside Greater Santo Domingo, calling for continued support from the United States.
President Medina commented that the country’s relationship with the US is and will continue to be excellent. “Our purpose, our objective has been for them to reflect the maturity of both democracies manifested as a partnership with a common purpose of moving forward for the development of our people. As in all partnerships, mutual respect must be an inviolable rule. Understanding that always amongst partners, there can be disagreements. What is important, however, is dialogue, and that the dignity of one country goes beyond its borders. In summary, our conversation has been frank, open, respectful, as it should be between two friends.”
“We are linked to the United States by geography, democratic values and love of freedom. Our interest is that the close relationship that we enjoy today may be even closer in the future. I trust that this will be the case after this memorable visit,” he concluded.
Biden is the first US Vice President to visit the country since 1980. He was accompanied by his 13-year old granddaughter and a teenage nephew. He stopped over on a Latin American tour that began in Brazil, followed by Colombia and due to end in Guatemala. He also visited the new US embassy compound in Santo Domingo.
In his own remarks after the meeting with the President, Biden expressed his regret that he was not able to travel with his wife. The Vice President of the United States expressed a firm belief in the importance of the two countries’ relationship. “And I said to you and I’ve said throughout the hemisphere that it is no longer the United States, this administration looking to the hemisphere, looking to the Dominican Republic and concluding what can we do for you. It’s not about doing anything for anybody. It’s about doing with you,” said Biden.
He assured President Medina: “And as you point out, we mostly agree on almost everything. Where we disagree, we have an opportunity to tell each other where and when we disagree. We’re not there yet so far. But the truth of the matter is this is the relationship that is based on mutual respect. And they’re not just words. That is what our policy is about. It’s mutual respect”.
Biden praised the Medina government’s education budget allocation increase and offered US support in this area.
In his comments on security he said: “As you know, Mr. President, I spent the bulk of my professional life on the security side of this arrangement when I was Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which has control over our criminal justice system. And I know we share a common sense of what need be done, and we’re prepared to be of help”. He specifically announced: “We’re prepared to work with you to expand the 911 system. And we hope your government is — shares our view that it should be expanded to your entire country. But that’s for you to decide, not for us to decide”.
Vice President Biden added that he would talk about regional issues. “And we’ll talk more at lunch about this, at least I will ask to talk more about it, about Venezuela and our mutual interest in bringing greater political inclusion, stability, and protection of basic human rights beyond the issue of energy production and availability.”
On immigration, he commented on US efforts to bring 11 million illegal immigrants in the US out of the shadows of American life, indicating there was an economic interest in doing so and said the US had gained from a consistent flow of immigration and integration in the population.
He acknowledged the DR faces “its own challenge of improving the conditions of Haitian migrants and descendants who were born here in the Dominican Republic.” He congratulated the President and Dominican congress on passing a new naturalization law, and commented that “implementation will be equally as important.”
In his closing words he said:
“And rest assured, rest assured, we — the United States, our government values this relationship. We value it very highly. And make no mistake about it. We view you with — and your country with great respect, and view you as a sovereign nation that is equal in every discussion that takes place between us. And notwithstanding the asymmetries you referred to, it is born out of genuine respect. I look forward to continuing our conversation”.
Read more:
http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2014/06/20140619302375.html
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/vice-president-biden-visits-dominican-republic-n136486
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/biden-dominican-republic-talk-energy-crime-24213362
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