President Abinader and Chile’s president-elect Kast strengthen bilateral ties

Santiago de los Caballeros.- President Luis Abinader met on Saturday with Chile’s president-elect, José Antonio Kast, to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations and expand cooperation in strategic areas such as border security, tourism, trade, infrastructure, citizen security, and economic development. Abinader expressed interest in deepening these ties once Kast assumes office in March, including the possibility of new agreements to facilitate bilateral trade.

During a press conference at the Presidential House in Santiago de los Caballeros, President Abinader highlighted Kast’s decision to choose the Dominican Republic as his first official destination and announced that both leaders would visit the border area on Sunday to review the security system and perimeter fence. Abinader also emphasized the importance of expanding trade, noting interest in increasing imports of Chilean wines while seeking tax-free access for Dominican cigars in the Chilean market.

For his part, President-elect Kast praised the Dominican Republic’s progress in border control and citizen security, describing it as a model worth studying. He expressed interest in understanding the country’s biometric controls and security strategies, with the aim of adapting successful practices to Chile, while acknowledging that each nation faces different realities.

Kast also recognized the Dominican Republic’s achievements in tourism and economic diversification, calling them examples of stability and growth. The meeting was attended by senior Dominican officials, including ministers of foreign affairs, defense, interior and police, housing, industry and commerce, and migration authorities, as well as members of the Chilean delegation led by their foreign affairs and security ministers.