NewsWhore
04-18-2007, 02:20 PM
With fifty foreign ministers in attendance the XIII Ministerial Meeting of the Rio Group and the European Union is getting under way in Santo Domingo. The EU-Rio Group is a key forum for political dialogue and one of the main platforms through which EU-Latin American relations are enhanced, and the direction of the relationship discussed. EU-Rio Group Ministerial Meetings take place every two years.
In this summit, the Dominican Republic will present the case for the immediate release of promised financial assistance to Haiti. According to El Caribe, the energy crisis will also be one of the main issues under discussion at the meeting. Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso pointed out that this is the first time that a meeting of this size has been held in the Western Hemisphere, a fact that he said was the result of the security offered by the Dominican Republic. A total of 2,000 participants and 500 journalists are attending the meeting. Since Haiti is not a member of the Rio Group, Morales will be the moderator during the presentation of the case. Over a billion dollars in assistance has been pledged to help Haiti in its recovery efforts, but so far disbursement has been negligible.
The Rio Group was created to facilitate the discussion of topics of common interest. Established in 1986 with an initial membership of six, it now comprises all of Latin America as well as representatives from the Caribbean countries. It is administered by a rotating and temporary secretariat. Today the members are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM, represented by Guyana), Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
On April 20th, EU Foreign Affairs Ministers are scheduled to meet with Ministers from the Rio Group. Their discussions will most probably focus on Haiti, environment and climate change, strengthening multilateralism (notably in the fields of human rights and drugs), on middle income countries and their fight against poverty, and dynamization of the EU-Rio Group relations.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
In this summit, the Dominican Republic will present the case for the immediate release of promised financial assistance to Haiti. According to El Caribe, the energy crisis will also be one of the main issues under discussion at the meeting. Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso pointed out that this is the first time that a meeting of this size has been held in the Western Hemisphere, a fact that he said was the result of the security offered by the Dominican Republic. A total of 2,000 participants and 500 journalists are attending the meeting. Since Haiti is not a member of the Rio Group, Morales will be the moderator during the presentation of the case. Over a billion dollars in assistance has been pledged to help Haiti in its recovery efforts, but so far disbursement has been negligible.
The Rio Group was created to facilitate the discussion of topics of common interest. Established in 1986 with an initial membership of six, it now comprises all of Latin America as well as representatives from the Caribbean countries. It is administered by a rotating and temporary secretariat. Today the members are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM, represented by Guyana), Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
On April 20th, EU Foreign Affairs Ministers are scheduled to meet with Ministers from the Rio Group. Their discussions will most probably focus on Haiti, environment and climate change, strengthening multilateralism (notably in the fields of human rights and drugs), on middle income countries and their fight against poverty, and dynamization of the EU-Rio Group relations.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)