Verklaring Van Rompuy na ontmoeting met president Dominicaanse Republiek (en) - Montesquieu Instituut

EUROPEAN COUNCIL THE PRESIDT

Brussels, 10 July 2012

EUCO PRESSE 332 PRPCE 122

Press statement by the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy following the meeting with Leonel Fernandez Reyna President of the Dominican Republic,

It is my pleasure to welcome the President of the Dominican Republic, Mr. Leonel Fernandez Reyna, to Brussels

At today's meeting, we were able to confirm the excellent relations between the European Union and the Dominican Republic. The EU is the second trade partner of the Dominican Republic and the most important foreign investor. The EU is also the first development partner of the Dominican Republic with a programme worth more than 280 million Euro. We are interested in increasing dialogue and cooperation with the Dominican Republic in the areas of human rights, counternarcotics, business climate, the security of investments, competitiveness, trade, and relations with Haiti

The Dominican Republic is a good example of a country that could successfully challenge negative trends of the global economy. Over the past years, the Dominican Republic has consistently registered high growth rates. The main challenge now is to sustain that growth, while tackling inequalities and promoting social inclusion for the benefit of all

President Fernandez informed me about the security situation in the region, in particular the drug problem which affects both Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. The EU welcomes the commitment of the Dominican Government to prevent narco-trafficking and I expressed the EU's readiness to step up cooperation in this field

We also discussed the situation in Haiti and agreed that a good relationship between the Dominican Republic and Haiti is crucial for Haiti's reconstruction and development and for regional integration in the Caribbean. I congratulated the President for the valuable role the Dominican Republic played in helping Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and assured him of the EU's long-term commitment to help Haiti

Finally, we discussed prospects for regional integration in the Caribbean and Latin America. We both underlined our support for further regional integration and for strengthening the partnership between the EU and the Caribbean

Since President Fernandez will be leaving office in August, I should like to thank him for his personal involvement in bringing the EU-Dominican Republic relations forward during his term as President of the Dominican Republic

Thank you for your visit to Brussels, Mr. President, in the building of the European Council

EUCO