Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez travelled to the Dominican Republic January 8-10 to build on the November 2 discussions between President Joe Biden and President Luis Abinader on economic cooperation, combatting climate change, and addressing the humanitarian and security crisis in Haiti. Senior Advisor Perez was joined by Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere at the National Security Council Juan González. During their meeting with President Abinader, Senior Advisor Perez reiterated the United States' commitment to strengthening regional economic cooperation under the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP) and recognized the Dominican Republic's leadership in the initiative. He also briefed President Abinader on the robust international support for the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti. During a separate meeting with Labor Minister Luis Miguel de Camps, Senior Advisor Perez discussed our collaboration to generate sustainable economic development and opportunities for the people of the Dominican Republic.
Senior Advisor Perez also visited one of the forty Dominican clinics that receive support to respond to HIV through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) - in the last 15 years, the Dominican Republic has received more than US$250 million through PEPFAR. The Senior Advisor also met with private sector executives to promote the expansion of the commercial relationship between the United States and the Dominican Republic, and with civil society members to discuss issues related to democratic values, human rights, and labor rights.
