President Fernández Discusses Cooperation Programs with World Bank Representatives

President Fernández Discusses Cooperation Programs with World Bank Representatives
Santo Domingo, 12/07/2010

Dominican President, Leonel Fernández, met last Friday with a commission from the Latin American and Caribbean Region, World Bank with whom he discussed the various collaboration programs sponsored by this organization in the Dominican Republic.

In a conversation with Ms. Cox, President Fernández reviewed World Bank support for the DR’s National Budget as well as other projects currently underway.

Representatives at the meeting included Pamela Cox, Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean
Region, the World Bank; Alejandro Cedeño, Special Assistant to the Vice President of Latin America and the Caribbean Region, World Bank and businessman Sergio A. Jellink, also a member of the organization.

In a conversation with Ms. Cox, President Fernández reviewed World Bank support for the DR’s National Budget as well as other projects currently underway. The World Bank recently approved a $150 million dollar pay-out to be disbursed by the end of 2010, informed the Presidential Office of Information, Press and Publicity.

Fernández, attending the 20th Ibero-American Heads of State and Government Summit in Argentina, spoke about the possibility of continuing to invest in community radio projects in rural areas. In fact, the Office of the First Lady has already developed some of these initiatives in the country’s poor communities.
Ms. Cox, one of the World Bank’s 24 regional Vice Presidents, said the financial institution has available resources for courses to train social communicators and teachers in the area. 

They also spoke about the possibility of offering courses to journalists, teachers and other communication professionals who work in the Presidential press areas of the Dominican Republic.  

It was agreed that, at a later date, these courses will also be offered to journalists from the interior of the country.

The President and World Bank officials discussed the possibility of a loan to be earmarked for the country’s town halls although no specific amount was mentioned.
Accompanying President Fernández at the meeting was Dominican Minister of Economy, Planning and Development Juan Temístocles Montás and Education Minister Melanio Paredes.