Blinken visits Dominican Republic as talks with president focus on economy

The US secretary of state and the leader of the Dominican Republic held private talks Friday on a range of issues, from human rights, economic prosperity and regional security. However, the crisis in violence-wrecked Haiti dominated the discussions.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Dominican Republic for a one-day visit after landing in neighbouring Haiti on Thursday to support a UN-backed mission led by Kenya to fight rampaging gangs there.

Blinken said he spoke with Dominican President Luis Abinader about the latter's concerns regarding Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.

Abinader told reporters that his administration is concerned over the apparent lack of resources for the mission and the thousands of inmates who escaped after gangs raided Haiti's two biggest prisons earlier this year as part of a coordinated attack.

Haiti's crisis has caused a surge in migrants trying to enter the Dominican Republic, Abinader said, addin