US envoy Roger Noriega, United States Assistant Secretary to the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, continued his high-level visit to the Dominican Republic yesterday, with a meeting with President Hipolito Mejia along with US ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Hans Hertell. Finance Minister Rafael Calderon, Central Bank Governor Jose Lois Malkum, Presidential Technical Secretary Carlos Despradel and Senate president Jesus Vasquez were also in attendance. Noriega called Mejia “a trusted friend”, saying that “the US wants to help the Dominican people overcome the crisis, but this requires concrete measures on the part of Congress and the President.” In a program that highlighted his government’s emphasis on the importance of clean and transparent elections, Noriega also met with the Central Electoral Board (JCE) and civil society organization Participacion Ciudadana, which acts as an electoral observer.