Outgoing president receives credentials

SantoDomingo.- In one of his last acts as Dominican head of state, president Leonel Fernández received credential letters from the representative of theHoly See along with delegates from international organizations and members of theconsular corps accredited in the country, who will attend today’s inaugurationceremonies for president-elect Danilo Medina.

During the event, which took placeat the National Palace Ambassadors’ Hall yesterday, the president spent severalminutes speaking with the special guests.

Fernández was accompanied byoutgoing vice president Rafael Alburquerque and foreign relations ministerCarlos Morales Troncoso.

The event was attended by AmbassadorsRaúl Yzaguirre of the United States, Arturo Olivieri of Italy, Park Dong-Sil ofSouth Korea, Eklil Ahmad Hakimi of Afghanistan, Ms. Iva Camille Gloundon ofTrinidad & Tobago, and Godelieve Van Den Bergh of Belgium. The Vatican’shead of mission Luigi Bianco, Héctor Timerman of Argentina, Hugo Roger Martínezof El Salvador, and Alfredo Moreno of Chile were also present.

Ambassadors on special missions who attendedyesterday’s event included Youssef Amarani of Morocco, AnnastassiosPetrovas of Greece, Pasi Patokallio of Finland, Bader Mohammad of Kuwait,Vladimir Zaesmky of Russia, Edita Hrdá of the Czech Republic and OlatokunbohKamson of Nigeria.

Representing the Organization ofAmerican States (OAS) secretary general José Miguel Insulza, María de JesúsConde Zabala of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Mcdonald Benjaminof the World Bank, Iván Ogando Lora of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and Ms.Diane Quarless from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean(ECLAC).