LOC23:49
20:49 GMT
WASHINGTON, July 12 (KUNA) -- U.S. President Barack Obama met here Monday
at the White House with President of the Dominican Republic Leonel Fernandez
during which they discussed a wide range of issues that are of mutual interest.
Following the meeting, Obama described his talks with Fernandez as
"excellent" saying that "one of the first messages I wanted to deliver was my
appreciation for the role that the Dominican Republic played in helping the
international community respond to the crisis in Haiti" following the
devastating earthquake that hit that country earlier this year.
He added that Fernandez and his government have also been "extremely
helpful" in resolving the political crisis in Honduras, and that they
discussed in this regard "ways that we can manage that process so that
Honduras can once again be fully integrated into the regional groupings and
organizations and in a way that is respectful of democracy."
Obama indicated that they also discussed the "critical" issue of drug
trafficking and crime, as well as expanding trade, commercial and business
opportunities between the two countries.
He stressed that "one area that I expressed to the president that is of
particular interest to me, is clean energy," and that he discussed also "how
we can work more closely together around energy security issues."
For his part, Fernandez indicated that during the talks, they agreed on
several issues, "some bilateral issues between the U.S. and the Dominican
Republic, and also on regional issues."
He expressed his appreciation to Obama for putting on his agenda Caribbean,
Latin America and the Dominican Republic "with all the international issues,
with all the crisis, with the economic situation that's affecting worldwide."
He stressed that "one of our major concerns has to do with drug
trafficking, with transnational crime, with violence related to all these
criminal activities."
He added that the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative "has been the right
path forward," commending Obama for that.
As for clean energy, Fernandez said that his country is working on that
"with wind energy and with the potential production of ethanol in our country."
Furthermore, Fernandez shed light on the free-trade agreement between both
countries "of which we have not benefited fully because of the global
financial crisis and how it has affected trade. But we can look into the
future, hopefully."
He added that they are also hoping to increasing trade activities and more
investments coming from the U.S. into the Dominican Republic. (end)
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