The Secretary of State of the USA, Antony Blinkenthanked the president this Friday Luis Abinader for the “warm welcome” he received during his first official visit to the Dominican Republicwhich served to address issues of common interest between the two countries and strengthen bilateral relations.
“Thank you President @LuisAbinader for your warm welcome to the Dominican Republic“Our friendship, alliance, and partnership have never been stronger,” Blinken wrote in social networks after exhausting his agenda in the country.
The head of American diplomacy the country left after 3:00 p.m. this Friday.
After their meeting, Blinken and Abinader offered a press conference to report on the points discussed, the main one being the situation in Haiti and the impact of the migration Haitian in health and education services in Dominican territory, human trafficking and regional security.
Both leaders also spoke of their concern about the situation in Venezuela and on the preparations for the Summit of the Americasof which Dominican Republic will be the headquarters in December 2025 in Punta Cana.
Abinader also reaffirmed before the Secretary of State his commitment to collaboration and cooperation between the two countries to strengthen regional security and stability, while respecting the natural differences in perspectives on certain issues.
Union leaders
The agenda of the Secretary of State in the country also included a meeting with union leaders, among whom was Eulogy Familyin charge of gender policy at the National Confederation of Trade Union Unity (CNUS) and workers’ representative on the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian Nicholsreported in X about the meeting with representatives of unions of the country, indicating that it served “to recognize the importance of the labor rights and freedom of association, as well as their contributions to more equitable economies and fairer societies.”
The head of US diplomacy left the country after completing his agenda, which also included a conversation with young students of the English Immersion Program at the Dominican-American Cultural Institute.
Bliken arrived in the country on Thursday night aboard a US government plane. USA which departed from Port-au-Prince, the diplomat’s first destination on his first trip to the island of Hispaniola since taking office in 2021.
On his trip to Haitian territory, Blinken reiterated his country’s support for Haiti’s recovery, reported on his efforts to renew the mandate of the support mission, which expires at the beginning of October, and again insisted on the need for the neighboring country to celebrate elections next year.
