Santo Domingo.- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Dominican Republic on Thursday night, with whose president, Luis Abinader, he will discuss “issues of common interest” on Friday, according to the local Presidency.
Blinken arrived at Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo at around 7:45 p.m. local time (23:45 GMT) from neighboring Haiti, where he met with transitional authorities on Thursday.
The agenda of the senior US official includes a private meeting starting at 10:00 AM local time (14:00 GMT) with Abinader at the National Palace, where both will later participate in a broader bilateral meeting with members of both delegations.
Following the meetings, both politicians will make statements to the press “to highlight the points discussed in the meetings,” according to a statement from the Presidency.
The day will conclude with an official lunch at the National Palace, “where the talks will continue in a more relaxed atmosphere,” the note concluded.
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Specifically, Blinken will discuss with Abinader issues related to security in Haiti and will speak about the need for “more normal relations” between Santo Domingo and Port-au-Prince,” according to what the person in charge of Latin America for the US State Department, Brian Nichols, told the press the day before.
“We certainly hope to see more normal relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. These countries are naturally linked and that will be something we will have in conversations with their leaders on both sides of the border,” Nichols said in a call with reporters.
He also stressed that the Dominican Republic provides “significant” assistance to Haiti and that Washington hopes “to see ties between the two countries operate normally in the future,” referring to the sometimes complicated relations between the two neighbors, as occurred last year following the construction by Haiti of a canal on the border river Masacre or Dajabón.
Among other measures, in September of last year Abinader ordered the closure of air, sea and land borders with Haiti in protest against the construction of the canal, which he described as “foolish.”
A statement from the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic added that during the visit, Blinken and President Abinader will strengthen their “long-standing close partnership” and discuss collaboration to advance inclusive economic growth, defend human rights, and promote good governance, security, and climate resilience in the region.
