NewsWhore
08-14-2007, 04:50 PM
Trade, investment, education and energy topics were the focus of talks between President Felipe Calderon of Mexico and President Leonel Fernandez in Mexico City yesterday. The Dominican President was on a two-day visit to Mexico following his trip to Venezuela where he attended the PetroCaribe Summit. Fernandez and Calderon held a 45-minute meeting at the Mexican President's Los Pinos residence, as reported by the Dominican Presidency website. President Calderon accepted an invitation to visit the DR from President Fernandez.
Calderon said priority would be given to talks aimed at reaching a free trade agreement. He also said he gave instructions to his Hacienda Minister, Agustin Carstens to review the San Jose Agreement signed with the DR. To date, the DR has not been able to access an accumulated US$250 million from a soft loan fund that is part of the agreement.
The San Jose accord was signed on 3 August 1980 and is a regional fuel supply agreement for the purchase of oil at preferential market prices from Mexico and Venezuela. The two countries agreed to provide soft loans for development projects for 20-25% of the purchase price of the oil. So far, only Venezuela has honored this part of the deal.
During a side trip to the northern city of Monterrey, President Fernandez was given commitments for Mexican assistance to develop trade and education. There, President Fernandez met with Nuevo Leon state Governor Jose Natividad Gonzalez Paras. President Fernandez and Governor Gonzalez stressed the importance of creating a triangle with Mexico for maximizing opportunities created by the DR-CAFTA agreement with the US and Central America. President Fernandez announced that a mixed bilateral commission would work on developing a strategic alliance for the development of trade, education and technology. President Fernandez invited Governor Gonzalez to visit the DR in the near future.
During a visit to the Tecnologico de Monterrey, President Fernandez received a commitment for 200 scholarships for masters and doctorate studies. Dominican Higher Education Minister Ligia Amada Melo signed on behalf of the Ministry of Higher Education. Fernandez also signed a cooperation agreement between the Tecnologico de Monterrey and President Fernandez's Global Foundation (FUNGLODE) for developing joint programs aimed at sharing knowledge and experience that may contribute to regional development and improved competitiveness for the DR and Mexico.
In July, Tecnologico de Monterrey rector Rafael Rangel and Dominican First Lady Margarita Cedeno signed an agreement opening the way for the country's Community Technology Centers (CTC) to bolster their mission of offering distance learning by adopting the Monterrey university's Community Learning Centers' model. This virtual university model would bring quality education to underprivileged Dominicans who live in remote corners of the country. The plan will initially be developed in Azua, Barahona, Dajabon, Elias Pina, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, Independencia, Monte Cristi, San Jose de Ocoa, Santiago and Santiago Rodriguez centers.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
Calderon said priority would be given to talks aimed at reaching a free trade agreement. He also said he gave instructions to his Hacienda Minister, Agustin Carstens to review the San Jose Agreement signed with the DR. To date, the DR has not been able to access an accumulated US$250 million from a soft loan fund that is part of the agreement.
The San Jose accord was signed on 3 August 1980 and is a regional fuel supply agreement for the purchase of oil at preferential market prices from Mexico and Venezuela. The two countries agreed to provide soft loans for development projects for 20-25% of the purchase price of the oil. So far, only Venezuela has honored this part of the deal.
During a side trip to the northern city of Monterrey, President Fernandez was given commitments for Mexican assistance to develop trade and education. There, President Fernandez met with Nuevo Leon state Governor Jose Natividad Gonzalez Paras. President Fernandez and Governor Gonzalez stressed the importance of creating a triangle with Mexico for maximizing opportunities created by the DR-CAFTA agreement with the US and Central America. President Fernandez announced that a mixed bilateral commission would work on developing a strategic alliance for the development of trade, education and technology. President Fernandez invited Governor Gonzalez to visit the DR in the near future.
During a visit to the Tecnologico de Monterrey, President Fernandez received a commitment for 200 scholarships for masters and doctorate studies. Dominican Higher Education Minister Ligia Amada Melo signed on behalf of the Ministry of Higher Education. Fernandez also signed a cooperation agreement between the Tecnologico de Monterrey and President Fernandez's Global Foundation (FUNGLODE) for developing joint programs aimed at sharing knowledge and experience that may contribute to regional development and improved competitiveness for the DR and Mexico.
In July, Tecnologico de Monterrey rector Rafael Rangel and Dominican First Lady Margarita Cedeno signed an agreement opening the way for the country's Community Technology Centers (CTC) to bolster their mission of offering distance learning by adopting the Monterrey university's Community Learning Centers' model. This virtual university model would bring quality education to underprivileged Dominicans who live in remote corners of the country. The plan will initially be developed in Azua, Barahona, Dajabon, Elias Pina, El Seibo, Hato Mayor, Independencia, Monte Cristi, San Jose de Ocoa, Santiago and Santiago Rodriguez centers.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)