Dominican Rep. to access Advanced Passenger Information System

Santo Domingo.- Foreign minister Carlos Morales will travel to Washington Friday to sign with U.S. Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano, an agreement to bolster air transport security.

In a statement the Dominican Foreign Ministry said the agreement looks to implement the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) in the Caribbean country, to allow the exchange of information on passengers who travel from one country to another, to improve the war on drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime.

The agreement will enable the information from crew members to reach any of the signatory countries before the flight takes off, and will also share best practices for staffs of the Interior and Police Ministry, the National Investigations Department and the local Customs, Morales said. "This is a significant step in the collaborative security efforts with the United States."

He said the presidents of the three corporations that own the private airports at Punta Cana and La Romana (east) and Santiago (north) were invited to the event.

The Foreign Ministry noted that during her visit to Santo Domingo, Napolitano also signed three joint statements with the objective of strengthening the fight against people trafficking, the security of the global supply chain and civil aeronautics.