PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti – President Jovenel Moise says his attendance at Sunday’s inauguration of Luis Abinader as the new President of the Dominican Republic underscores the importance given to improving relations between the two islands that form Hispaniola.
“I had the great pleasure of participating in the investiture ceremony of the President-elect of the Dominican Republic H.E.M. Luis Abinader. My presence at this ceremony is an eloquent testimony of friendship and solidarity which prevail between the Haitian and Dominican peoples,” Moise said in a message on his official Twitter account.
In his address on Sunday, President Abinader spoke of the importance of having good relations with Haiti during the ceremony that was attended by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
“The bilateral relationship with Haiti is very important for the Dominican Republic. We are aware that the success of this relationship depends on the active, consistent and persevering presence of the two States.
“Therefore, we must continue to strengthen the instruments for a good neighbourliness, promote the comprehensive development of the border and the design of an effective security policy to help the well-being of the two nations,” he added.
The 53-year-old businessman, who had never held elected office, won a four-year term on July 5, ending a 16-year run in power by a centre-left party. Abinader had finished second in the 2016 presidential election.
“This election resounds as an example to other nations of the power of democracy and what is possible when countries prioritize the wishes of their people,” Pompeo tweeted after Abinader’s inauguration, saying he was “optimistic about this chapter in US-Dominican partnership”.
Following the inauguration ceremony, Moise, wh is himself under pressure to call fresh elections in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country, held talks with President Abinader reviewing the bilateral relations between the two countries and pledged to strengthen them.
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