Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – The Dominican Republic, which currently holds the Pro Tempore Presidency (PPT) of the Central American Integration System (SICA), convened and chaired a special gathering of the bloc’s Council of Foreign Ministers this Tuesday. This high-level meeting was organized as a critical preparatory step ahead of the much-anticipated virtual summit of SICA heads of state and government, set to convene the following day.
Leading the discussions was Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez, who stepped into the role in his official capacity as the representative of the bloc’s sitting pro tempore president. Every full member state of SICA sent their top foreign affairs official to participate in the talks, which centered on aligning positions, refining the official agenda, and prioritizing key topics that regional leaders will take up during Wednesday’s summit.
One of the most significant announcements to emerge from the extraordinary session was the formal confirmation of the upcoming handover of SICA’s Pro Tempore Presidency. The Dominican Republic confirmed that it will pass the rotating leadership role to Belize at the end of June. The official transfer ceremony will be hosted during the next regular meeting of SICA foreign ministers, which is scheduled to take place in San Salvador, El Salvador.
Minister Álvarez was joined by two senior Dominican diplomatic officials for the meeting: Hugo Francisco Rivera, Vice Minister for Economic Affairs and International Cooperation, and Carmen Elena Ibarra, Director of Trade Integration. Alongside other attendees, the Dominican delegation advanced discussions focused on deepening regional integration progress and expanding cross-border cooperative initiatives across key sectors for the bloc.