President Luis Abinader returns from Peace Summit in Ukraine

Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader returned to the Dominican Republic late Sunday night after attending the Peace Summit in Ukraine, held in Lucerne, Switzerland. His flight landed at 10:37 p.m. at Las Américas Dr. José Francisco Peña Gómez International Airport.

Accompanying President Abinader were Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Álvarez, General Secretariat Chief Eilyn Beltrán, Presidential Security Corps head Major General Jimmy Arias, and Presidential Press Director Daniel García Archibald.

During his address at the summit’s session on food security, President Abinader emphasized the severe economic impact of the Ukrainian conflict, particularly on food security. He underscored that food security is a fundamental right and highlighted the necessity of ensuring food access, especially for vulnerable populations in economically fragile and small island nations like the Dominican Republic.

The president expressed deep concern over the war’s detrimental effects on food production and storage in Ukraine, a major global exporter of corn, wheat, sunflower, barley, and other staples. These disruptions have led to higher prices for essential commodities and hydrocarbons, affecting the Dominican economy.

President Abinader also noted the significant blow to Dominican tourism due to the loss of Russian and Ukrainian visitors, who had been the second-largest group of tourists to the country before the war.

The Peace Summit, held on June 15 and 16, brought together heads of state, government officials, and representatives from over 90 countries. President Abinader was the sole leader from Central America and the Caribbean, thereby highlighting his influential role in Latin America.

Other notable participants from the Americas included Argentine President Javier Milei, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Costa Rican First Vice President Stephan Brunner.