DOMINICAN PRESIDENT MEJIA WRITES TO ASK FOR

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001933

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, EB/OMA, WHA/PPSC, SES-CR; TREASURY FOR
DO:NLEE, RTOLOUI, LLAMONICA; PARIS FOR TREASURY ATTACHE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: DR EFIN OPDC
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN PRESIDENT MEJIA WRITES TO ASK FOR
PRESIDENT BUSH'S SUPPORT AT APRIL 13 PARIS CLUB NEGOTIATION

REF: 3/25 E-MAIL FROM MEIGS


1. (SBU) On March 25 the Foreign Ministry delivered the
original of a letter from President Mejia for President Bush,
under cover of a note from the Minister. Following is
Embassy's unofficial translation. Embassy is faxing copy to
WHA/CAR and to Treasury; original follows to SES-CR by pouch.


2. (Comment) Technical Secretary of the Presidency Carlos
Despradel will meet Treasury DAS Nancy Lee at the IDB meeting
on March 28 to discuss the GODR's Paris Club approach.
Despradel confirmed to DCM and econoff yesterday that
President Mejia has given specific instructions that the
government is to comply strictly with all IMF goals.
Despradel is concerned by what he believes is an internal
contradiction in the program; he will describe this in detail
to DAS Lee.

3.(begin text of unofficial translation)


(Seal of the Dominican Republic)

Hipolito Mejia
President of the Dominican Republic

March 23, 2004


Dear Mr. President,

It is an honor to write to you to ask for your attention to
an issue of great interest for the Dominican Republic,
related to the severe banking crisis that we faced last year,
which cost the equivalent of 20 percent of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP).

For this reason I ask for your spirited intervention, since
in confronting this situation we have had to seek the
assistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with the
signature of a Standby Agreement for a period of two years,
the next quarterly review of which will occur at the end of
the current month of March. In this regard we have done
taken all the measures within our power to comply with the
strict fiscal and monetary goals agreed with the Fund.

The agreement with the IMF projects, among other things, a
balance of payments gap of USD 320 million for the year 2004,
which we agreed to cover by renegotiating part of the
external debt falling due this year, including only those
bilateral debts incurred before 1984 with countries members
of the Paris Club.

The meetings with Paris Club members are set for April 13.
We are preparing for these with the assistance of experts in
these matters.

Mr. President, in outlining to you above the economic
situation, my aim is to seek your spirited personal
intervention, so that the officials of your government
attending these meetings help us to conclude a renegotiation
that enables our country to overcome the serious economic
problems we face, without incurring future charges so costly
that they do not justify, in financial terms, the
renegotiation, especially with private creditors.

Thanking you, Mr. President and my friend, for the courtesy
of your close attention to this request, permit me to use
this opportunity to offer, once again, the assurances of my
personal esteem and personal appreciation.

(signed)

Hiplito Meja

His Excellency
George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
Washington DC

(end text)
HERTELL