Dominican Republic to Host 20th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Rio Group

Dominican Republic to Host 20th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Rio Group

D uring the coming hours, international attention will be on the Dominican Republic as it prepares to host the 20th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Rio Group which is to be held on Thursday and Friday. Participants include heads of state from Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Guyana, Nicaragua, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and the Prime Minister of Haiti.

Friday March 7 will mark the beginning of the 20th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Rio Group whose work will be dedicated to the discussion of the following three topics: Energy, Natural Disasters and Development. Conclusions reached on these issues will be published in the Declaration of Santo Domingo.

Carlos Morales Troncoso, Dominican Foreign Minister, has said the Summit will produce a fruitful interchange of ideas and proposals that will be reflected in public policy to be applied by presidents and heads of state of the Rio Group. “It will be a magnificent opportunity for participating dignitaries to strengthen their links of friendship and cooperation,” Mr. Troncoso added.

Summit participants include Presidents Cristina Fernández de Kirshner of Argentina; Álvaro Uribe of Colombia; Michelle Bachelet of Chile; Felipe Calderón of Mexico; Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana; Daniel Ortega Saavedra of Nicaragua; Álvaro Colom of Guatemala; Elías Antonio Saca González of El Salvador; Hugo Chávez from Venezuela; Manuel Zelaya of Honduras; Haitian Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis and Dominican President Leonel Fernández.

Presidents’ Arrivals

The National Coordinators of the Rio Group will take place on March 4 & 5. These coordinators are in charge of follow-up on the issues as well as the technical negotiation of documents and positions.

On March 6, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs will meet. These ministers generally meet at least three times per year to analyze the technical themes and policies of the Rio Group.

Heads of state of the Rio Group will arrive to the Dominican Republic on Thursday March 6 to be greeted by Dominican President Leonel Fernández with a dinner at the National Palace.

President Fernández will give the inaugural speech of the 20th Summit at 9:30 a.m. on Friday in the Conference Hall of the Foreign Ministry where the official opening of the summit will be transmitted via satellite.

The presentation ceremony of the Secretariat Pro Tempore of the Rio Group on the part of President Leonel Fernández to Mexican President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa will also talk place on Friday.

Following the conclusion of the first part of the Summit’s work groups, President Leonel Fernández will invite the heads of state and foreign ministers to lunch. It is expected that at 4:50 p.m. the heads of state will have signed the Summit’s joint declaration and the conference will formally come to an end. Once this has taken place, there will be a press conference given by representatives of the Troika of the Rio Group.

Various governmental institutions, under the coordination of the Foreign Ministry, will participate in the 20th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Rio Group.

Some 2,500 people, of which 600 are national and international journalist, have registered for the 20th Summit which is expected to receive a great deal of press coverage.

Security Measures

Strict security measures are in place in the areas around the Dominican Foreign Ministry Building to guarantee the most efficient undertaking of the summit.

In view of this situation, services rendered in the Departments of Visa and Passport Legalization and Correspondence of the Foreign Ministry Office have been suspended from 12:00 noon on Wednesday March 5 until Friday March 7.

In addition, on March 6 and 7, the side of the road of George Washington Avenue that runs along the perimeter of SEREX will be closed. Huascar Tejeda and Robert Schomburk Streets will also be closed to traffic. Only vehicles with Summit accreditation will be permitted access.

Traffic in the areas bordering George Washington, Independencia, Abraham Lincoln and President Vicini Burgos Avenues will be partially cut and limited temporarily and for short periods.

SEREX has asked citizens for their comprehension and collaboration in order to make the presence of so many foreign heads of state an easier task for authorities so that the Dominican Republic will successfully fulfill its duty and commitment to the Summit’s participants and all invited guests.

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