Dominican Republic: Air Europe fills Iberia’s Dominican Republic-Spain vacuum

The airline Air Europe, of the group Globalia, and the government agreed to double the connections to Dominican Republic’s airports starting April 1, when Iberia will stop flying to the Caribbean country, EFE reports from Madrid.

The agreement comes after a phone conversation between president Danilo Medina and Globalia president Juan Jose Hidalgo, who guaranteed the carrier’s links with Madrid and the flow of Spanish tourists to the country.

On 7 December Iberia announced it will no longer operate the route Madrid-Santo Domingo, as well as Havana starting April 1, as part of the company’s plan, which includes, among other measures, halting unprofitable routes.

Hidalgo said Globalia is committed to adding flights, which would be uploaded into the reservation system as soon as tomorrow, for which Air Europe’s one daily flight to the Dominican Republic, will jump to 14 times a week to Santo Domingo as of April, from Madrid's Barajas, at noon and at night daily. Punta Cana will be connected to Madrid by seven weekly flights and special flights to Puerto Plata during the high season.

Read more: Air Europe fills Iberia’s Dominican Republic-Spain vacuum - DominicanToday.com

Caribbean - IMF: Haiti, Suriname, Dominican Republic Boast Top Regional Growth

Haiti, Suriname and the Dominican Republic will post the Caribbean’s highest GDP growth rates i 2012, according to quarterly projections released Monday in the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook.

Haiti is projected to grow 4.5 percent this year, although that is lower than the 6 percent GDP growth rate projected in a recent report from the UN Economic Commission for Latin America.

Earlier this year, the IMF had projected Haiti’s economy to grow between 4.5 and 5.5 percent.

Both projections were far lower than an earlier World Economic Outlook in April, which anticipated Haiti’s economy to grow at a rate of 7.8 percent in 2012.

It’s not clear what led to the lower projection, although the IMF mentioned following its July visit that Haiti’s government needed to accelerate the pace of reconstruction.

The rate still remained the Caribbean’s highest in 2012, followed by the Dominican Republic and Suriname, both of which are projected to grow 4 percent this year.

Read more: IMF: Haiti, Suriname, Dominican Republic Boast Top Regional Growth

European Investment Bank backs Caribbean geothermal energy scheme - by S.Coward

The European Investment Bank has agreed to fund preparations for possible use of geothermal renewable energy to replace fossil fuels in the Caribbean. Potential electricity generation capacity from geothermal resources and feasibility of connections to other islands will be examined under the technical assistance programme to start shortly.

The European Investment Bank, the European Union’s long-term lending institution, will provide a EUR 1.1 million grant to enhance detailed planning and study the feasibility of exporting electricity generated by geothermal energy from Dominica to neighbouring islands Martinique and Guadeloupe. Electricity generation using geothermal energy uses water heated to a high temperature using geothermal resources available near the surface. The EIB’s support will evaluate a possible northern submarine interconnection from Dominica to Guadeloupe and a second link to Martinique in the south. Once the feasibility of cross-border interconnections is determined, subsequent studies will define the characteristics of the sub-sea cables and assess the environmental impact of the planned interconnection.
For more: European Investment Bank backs Caribbean geothermal energy scheme

Bleacher Report: Dutch Baseball: Bringing March Madness to the WBC in beating the Dominican Republic

For the complete story from the Bleacher Report click on this link

Dutch Baseball- Bringing March Madness to the WBC in beating the Dominican Republic

The U.S., Puerto Rico, Japan, Venezuela, Cuba, and Korea have all coasted through to the second round in the double elimination format of this years Classic. Panama, South Africa and Italy have all been eliminated. This was all to plan, but Italy beat Canada (no superpower, but anchored by guys like Jason "Buzzards" Bay, Russell Martin, and Justin Morneau), Australia beat Mexico, and, get this, the Netherlands beat The Dominican Republic twice.

"Last night I sat down in the seventh inning and had to squint to make sure the score was right. 0-0. Guys named Stuifbergen, Smit, Neuman (a fireballing Red Sox prospect who struck out Tejada in the eighth) and Boyd shut down the imposing All-Star laden lineup from the Dominican. When it really counted Eugene Kinsale and Yurrendell de Caster came through in the eleventh, even after their opponents had taken the lead in the top of the inning. I couldn't look away, and my girlfriend kept wondering who I was rooting for when I cheered at every out gotten by the Dutch (she knew the Sox and the U.S. were not playing)."

Pittsburg Pirates top the Netherlands, 5-4 in Florida

Eugene Kingsdale scored two points against the Pirates for Holland (photo ANP)

EU-Digest

Baseball: Pittsburg Pirates top the Netherlands, 5-4 in Florida

Ross Ohlendorf had a shaky start, but Garrett Jones had three RBIs in the Pirates' 5-4 exhibition victory against the Netherlands' this Tuesday at McKechnie Field in Bradington Florida. In other friendly games in Florida the Netherlands won 18-1 against Eckerd College, played a draw 3-3 against Korea and 4-4 against the University of South Florida. In their Florida "warm-up" for the World Baseball Classics, which start in the Dominican Republic on March 7, the Netherlands is still scheduled to play against the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins.

Dominican Today: With pact 30,000 tons of Dominican sugar can enter the EU

For the complete report from the DominicanToday.com click on this link

With pact 30,000 tons of Dominican sugar can enter the EU

Dominican Republic can send 30,000 metric tons of sugar to the European Union market within the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Jonattan Pitts, spokesman of the EU’s permanent delegation in the country, said with the agreement begun last December, Dominican Republic is "very competitive" with its sugar production. "And better than that, before the protocol concludes there is an increase of the quotas for the Caribbean to 60,000 tons, with 30,000 reserved entrance for the Dominican Republic.” The country will have a quota 30 thousand tons that it from now on did not have before, and until before the end the protocol the sugar in 2009, like result the implementation the EPA.

Caribbean360.com: Dominican Republic prepares to sign a new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with EU

For the complete report from Caribbean360.com click on this link

Dominican Republic prepares to sign a new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with EU

As the Dominican Republic prepares to sign a new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe as part of CARIFORUM (CARICOM and the Dominican Republic), a former Ambassador is suggesting that the move will work in that country's favour. But he says the protectionism which other Caribbean countries have become accustomed to could put them at a disadvantage when they're forced to open up their markets. Bernardo Vega says the new trade deal which is expected to be signed on March 31st and provisionally applied on April 1st provides certainty for investors and is much more beneficial than the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). "Unlike DR-CAFTA, the EPA recognises concepts like non-reciprocity and slower opening up of markets by the Caribbean. It also provides temporary migration facilities and guarantees a certain volume of aid not available under DR-CAFTA," he said.