“Agriculture and rural areas have to be progress, generation of jobs and opportunities,” said Dr. Manuel Otero during his visit
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, April, 2018 (IICA). After his intervention during the Second Ordinary Meeting of the Ministries of Agriculture held in Punta Cana, Dr. Manuel Otero, Director General exhausted an intense agenda in the City of Santo Domingo with the aim of strengthening institutional relations, both with the sector public as private.
One of the first institutions visited was the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPyD) where it held two meetings with the objective of building alliances and making the technical capacity of IICA available to the authorities. At the first meeting and accompanied by Mr. Frank Lam, IICA Representative in the Dominican Republic, there was a formal exchange of information with Ambassador Antonio Vargas, European Fund Manager and Director General of the Directorate of Multilateral Cooperation (DIGECOOM). As a result of this, three important cooperation areas were identified: Institutional strengthening in methodological systematization, climate change and resilient agriculture, and inclusive territorial development.
Afterwards, a meeting was held with Mr. Isidoro Santana, Minister of MEPyD who together with his team shared the National Development Strategy (NDS), a national planning instrument and for which Dr. Otero said: “I think interesting as the country has ordered the prioritization of its efforts through the National Development Strategy; it is a laudable effort that at least marks the way to where the country wants to go.”
Dr. Manuel Otero to the JAD
A working lunch meeting was held with members of the Board of Directors of the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD) who, accompanied by seven former Ministers of Agriculture and Mr. Osmar Benítez, Executive Director of the JAD, shared the vision of Dr. Manuel Otero as Director General of IICA and discussed the importance of the role of private enterprise in the economic, social and environmental development of rural areas in Latin America and the Caribbean.
As part of the agenda, Dr. Otero met with representatives of the Viccini Group, one of the most important and influential business groups in the Dominican Republic to learn about the initiative Quisqueya Binational Economic Council (CEBQ) that carries out actions in the border area Dominican Republic – Haiti.
The agenda of Dr. Otero concluded meeting with the Agricultural Attaché of the Embassy of the United States of America, an important partner of IICA in the Dominican Republic and the Ambassador of the European Union in the Dominican Republic. Prior to his departure, Dr. Otero was able to share with all the technical and administrative staff of the IICA Delegation in the Dominican Republic.
More information: Mr. Frank Lam, IICA Representative in the Dominican Republic,
