The Dominican Republic signed two agreements in the amount of 10 million Euros that will benefit the Ministries of Education and Environment.

According to the terms, this financial cooperation agreement is not refundable and is to be directed toward helping ease the global environmental crisis and for the protection, conservation and sustainable management in areas such as the Dominican bio-reserves of Jaragua, Enriquillo and Bahoruco.

The first agreement was signed between the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID) and the new Educational Budget Support Sector of the Dominican Republic and will cover the 2007-2008 period. The budget cooperation package of over 4.5 million Euros being offered by the AECID in representation of the Spanish government to the Ministry of Education is being done as part of the Bilateral Memorandum of Understanding between the two governments, according to a press release from the President’s Office of Information, Press and Publicity.

Temístocles Montás, Minister of Economy, Planning and Development and Alejandrina Germán, Minister of Education, signed the agreement on the part of the Dominican government. Montás’s portfolio includes dealing with issues related to international cooperation.

Miguel Encinas, General Coordinator of AECID, and Inocencio García, General Director of AECID’s Bilateral Cooperation section, represented Spain.

Temístocles Montás and Alejandrina Germán stressed that the elements in the agreement will be directed exclusively to the benefit of the education sector which is a national priority and strategic objective of President Leonel Fernández’s government.

The German government, through another agreement signed today, will give 5.5 million Euros for the 2008-2011 period. This money is earmarked for the program “Sustainable Management of Natural Resources along the Border Areas.”

According to the terms, this financial cooperation agreement is not refundable and is to be directed toward helping ease the global environmental crisis and for the protection, conservation and sustainable management in areas such as the Dominican bio-reserves of Jaragua, Enriquillo and Bahoruco.

Environmental Minister Omar Ramírez thanked the German people for the donation, saying it was a welcome complement to the financial cooperation already given to the Dominican Republic.

He said the resources will be destined fundamentally for the conservation of the Artibonito River, located along the country’s border.

German Ambassador, Cristian Germann, pointed to the positive relationship that has developed between the two nations and the important significance of this bilateral cooperation agreement.

The agreements were signed in the Green Hall of the National Palace in the presence of Dominican and German government officials as well as members of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development.