President Fernández Receives Guatemalan President Álvaro Colom

President Fernández Receives Guatemalan President Álvaro Colom
Santo Domingo, 10/28/2010

Dominican President, Leonel Fernández, received his Guatemalan counterpart, Álvaro Colom, with whom he discussed several topics of interest such as regional security, climate change and the situation facing Haiti as it deals with a cholera outbreak. Colom recognized the Dominican leader as the president who has done the most to help Haiti in its time of need. 

The Guatemalan President said that commercial relations between his country and the Dominican Republic are very good and that they could very well increase, according to the Presidential Office of Information, Press and Publicity.

 “I believe that President Fernández has been constant in his support of Haiti,” the Guatemalan President told reporters after his meeting with President Fernández in the National Palace.

The Guatemalan President said that commercial relations between his country and the Dominican Republic are very good and that they could very well increase, according to the Presidential Office of Information, Press and Publicity.

Nevertheless, he recognized that Guatemala has only a few products to offer as compared to the DR, “we can’t really compete as we only have a few products and we have different economic structure which keeps us from being involved.”

President Colom was impressed by the beauty of the Dominican beaches. “You have gorgeous beaches here and we do too but yours are out of this world.”

In relation to Haiti, he said that all countries are obliged to support for this nation especially considering how much the Haitian people have suffered and for so many months since the earthquake.

He referred to the current serious problem facing Haiti, the recent cholera outbreak “especially in view of the overcrowding of people made homeless by the January 12 earthquake which can cause all manner of epidemics.”

President Colom said that although they did not talk about the Central American and Caribbean Free Trade Agreement in his meeting with President Fernández, he was certain there would be a solution to the differences that exist between the Dominican Republic and several Central American nations over customs duties.
“Fortunately we have good relationships among the various governments and this will be dealt with by the Economy Ministers and I am sure there will be a solution,” said Colom.