Letter of Agreement Signed with Dominican Republic Bureau of Public Affairs

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

June 29, 2009

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U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to the Dominican Republic Roland W. Bullen and Dominican Minister of the Interior and Police, Franklin Almeyda Rancier, signed the first letter of agreement implementing the Mérida Initiative, a multi-year regional effort to combat organized crime, gangs and the trafficking of narcotics and firearms on Friday, June 26. The signing provides an initial $2,155,000, with an additional $345,000 to follow in FY2008 funding for the first year of the Mérida Initiative.


Under this agreement, the Dominican Government and the U.S. Government will be partners in projects funded in part or fully by the U.S. Government. Mérida Initiative funding is to be used for projects that include: Providing equipment and technical consulting services to the Financial Analysis Unit, $200,000; National Police Reform Projects, $300,000; Anti-Money Laundering Assistance, $300,000; National Directorate for the Control of Drugs Reform Projects, $750,000; Development of a National Digital Criminal Database, $550,000; Equipment for the Navy Intelligence Unit, $250,000; and a Joint Haitian-Dominican Border Security Program, $150,000. A second letter of agreement to be signed in the future will provide additional funding to these and additional projects including the targeting of at risk youth and anti-gang programs, community policing, and demand reduction.


Representatives of the Government of the United States and the Government of the Dominican Republic will meet quarterly to review qualitative and quantitative progress towards achievement of the project goals and objectives. These evaluations are in addition to the ongoing monitoring of the programs and activities conducted by each government.







PRN: 2009/655

Source:http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/06a/125460.htm

I was Curious of who Roland W. Bullen was so I did a google search to find out.

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West Indian Born Ambassadors in US Diplomatic Corp
Roland W. Bullen
Ambassador Bullen was born in Grenada, West Indies

BIOGRAPHY

Roland Bullen Ambassador, Guyana Term of Appointment: 07/29/2003 to present

Ambassador Roland W. Bullen, a career member of the Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, was sworn in on July 29, 2003. Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Bullen served as Deputy Executive Director in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs from September 2001 to July 2003. He has served in diplomatic missions in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, as well as in Washington, DC. He was assigned as Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados from 1998 to 2001. In Bridgetown, he was Charge d’Affaires for more than two years. During this period, he successfully managed a series of trade, banking, money laundering, immigration and tax regulatory issues, and concluded Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) with all seven countries covered by the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown.

Ambassador Bullen was born in Grenada, West Indies and came to the United States in 1966. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University in 1970, majoring in public administration. He did post graduate studies at the United States International University in San Diego receiving a Masters of Arts degree in social sciences in 1973.

Ambassador Bullen entered the Foreign Service in 1977 and has served in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Liberia, Belize, Costa Rica and Venezuela. From 1994 to 1996, he served in Washington, DC as a Senior Inspector in the Office of the State Department’s Inspector General. Ambassador Bullen is a recipient of the Department of State Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards. Before joining the State Department, Ambassador Bullen worked for the City of San Diego.


Source: http://www.sweetsoca.com/bmp/articles/wibornambassadors.htm

Of Course, now he's back in DR as the U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to the Dominican Republic...

Roland W. Bullen

Roland Bullen took up his duties as Minister Counselor in Santo Domingo on August 18, 2006. A career member of the Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, his previous assignment was as Ambassador to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and to CARICOM. From September 2001 to July 2003 he served as Deputy Executive Director in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs in Washington. Throughout his career, he has served in diplomatic missions in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, as well as in Washington. From 1990 to 1994, he served as the Management Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo. He was assigned as Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados from 1998 to 2001. In Bridgetown he was Chargé d’Affaires for over two years.

Mr. Bullen was born in Grenada, West Indies and came to the United States in 1966. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Diego State University in 1970, majoring in public administration. He did post graduate studies at the United States International University in San Diego receiving a Masters of Arts degree in social sciences in 1973.

Mr. Bullen entered the Foreign Service in 1977 and has served in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Liberia, Belize, Costa Rica and Venezuela. From 1994 to 1996 he served in Washington as a Senior Inspector in the Office of the State Department’s Inspector General. Mr. Bullen is a recipient of the Department of State Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards. Before joining the State Department, Mr. Bullen worked for the City of San Diego.

He is married to Hilda Cox-Bullen, and they have two sons.


http://santodomingo.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html

Dont forget the most famous West Indian American Diplomat the Jackie Robinson of Diplomats United States Ambassador to Chad 1969–1972 United States Ambassador to Guinea 1972–1975
United States Ambassador to Costa Rica March 17, 1975–January 24, 1977 United States Ambassador to Spain1978–1983 United States Ambassador to Denmark1983–1989
United States Ambassador to Argentina
13 June 1989–28 June 1993.......A truly Distinguished career and all under Republican presidents