The presidents of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, and of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, agreed on Monday to start talks for an alliance that can repower Ecuadorian gas production from the Amistad field, located in the Gulf of Guayaquil (southwest).
The idea is to “increase the supply of this resource for the benefit of sustainable development for both nations,” Lasso said at the end of his bilateral meeting with Abinader in Quito, before the sixth meeting of the Alliance for Development in Democracy (ADD). .
The two presidents also agreed on their interest in carrying out activities of analysis, exploration and additional production of Ecuadorian crude to meet the long-term needs of the Dominican Republic, according to the Ecuadorian Presidency in a statement.
Likewise, Lasso assured that there is interest in starting and accelerating negotiations for a trade agreement with the Dominican Republic, and Abinader mentioned that they are organizing a meeting with Dominican businessmen for May to analyze the benefits of a trade agreement with Ecuador.
The Ecuadorian ruler confirmed his presence at the next Ibero-American Summit, to be held in Santo Domingo on March 24 and 25, where he will receive the rotating presidency with a view to organizing the meeting in 2024.
Lasso also highlighted the role that Ecuador will play in the United Nations Security Council during the 2023-2024 period, with a specific analysis of the situation in Haiti and the role played by the international community.
Both heads of state agreed that their countries must work together on the challenge of migration, with a firm conviction to combat criminal structures and the illicit trafficking of migrants.
After their meeting at the Carondelet Palace, the seat of Ecuador’s executive branch, Lasso and Abinader moved to the nearby Convento de San Francisco to participate in the ADD summit, an integration mechanism made up of Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama and the Dominican Republic.