Pool Reports of November 2, 2023

In-town pool report #1 -- checking in

Good morning. President Biden is holding bilateral meetings today with the presidents of the Dominican Republic and Chile. The press briefing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Full schedule below:

EDT

10:00 AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
Closed Press

10:00 AM In-Town Pool Call Time

12:00 PM THE PRESIDENT holds a bilateral meeting with President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic
Oval Office
In-House Pool Spray (Gather 11:50 AM – Brady Press Briefing Room)

2:45 PM THE PRESIDENT holds a bilateral meeting with President Gabriel Boric of Chile
Oval Office
In-House Pool Spray (Gather 2:35 PM – Brady Press Briefing Room)

Briefing Schedule

EDT

1:30 PM Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby

In-town pool report #2 — gathered for Oval spray

The pool is gathering now for the Oval Office spray with POTUS and President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic.

In-town pool report #3 -- Oval remarks/Gaza quote

The pool was led into the Oval Office at 12:46 p.m.

President Biden was seated across from President Abinader in front of the fireplace.

Biden said the friendship between the U.S. and the Dominican Republican "runs deep" and the partnership between the two nations is "stronger than ever before."

Biden said the countries were partnering on expanding economic opportunities and countering corruption, and addressing humanitarian needs in Haiti.

President Abinader echoed Biden, touted the U.S.-Dominican Republican alliance, and noted that there are "more than 2 million Dominican descendants" living in the U.S.

The pool was ushered out of the Oval Office at 12:51 p.m. Biden did not respond to several shouted questions about Israel and Gaza.

Then as the pool exited the Oval, Biden said, "Good news we got out today 74 American folks, dual citizens," an apparent reference to people getting out of the Gaza Strip.

Check quote against video/transcript.

In-town pool report #4 -- briefing delayed

The press briefing is now slated to start at 1:45 p.m.

In-town pool report #5 -- Two-minute warning for briefing

Two-minute warning for the press briefing.

In-town pool report #6 -- briefing underway

The White House press briefing started at 1:46 p.m.

In-town pool report #7 -- note on U.S.-Dominican Republic bilat

From the White House:

The President is participating in a bilateral meeting with President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic:

U.S. Manifest
The President
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Tom Perez, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
T.H. Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs
T.H. Juan Gonzalez, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Western Hemisphere, National Security Council
T.H. Sarah Ladislaw, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Climate, National Security Council
Ms. Lauren Michaels, Director for the Caribbean, National Security Council

Dominican Republican Manifest
President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic
T.H. Roberto Alvarez Gil, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic
T.H. Jose Manuel Vicente Dubocq, Minister of Finance of the Dominican Republic
H.E. Sonia Guzman de Hernandez, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United States of America
T.H. Hugo Rivera Fernandez, Vice-Minister for Economic Affairs and International Cooperation
Mr. Anselmo Muñiz Hernandez, Director of Strategic and Analytical Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Eilyn Beltran Solo, Special Assistant to the President

In-town pool report #8 -- briefing over

The press briefing concluded at 2:49 p.m.

In-town pool report #9 -- gathered for next Oval spray

The pool is gathering now for the Oval Office spray with President Biden and President Gabriel Boric of Chile.

In-town pool report #10 -- Oval spray remarks

The pool was led into the Oval Office at 3:58 p.m. President Biden was seated in front of the fireplace alongside President Boric of Chile.

Biden began his brief remarks with a quip about Boric's age.

"The only problem I have with you is you're too young," Biden said of Boric, who is 37 years old. "That's not a problem," Boric shot back.

After some more banter about the starts of their political careers, Biden went on to praise Chile and the United States' partnership and noted that the two nations have had a bilateral relationship for 200 years. "We're going to grow the economies of the hemisphere from the bottom up and the middle out," Biden said.

Boric said he looked forward to strengthening ties with the U.S. and said he had a "lot of topics to discuss," including "the green transition, migration and economic development."

Biden did not respond to shouted questions about Israel as the spray ended. Boric was asked if he would raise concerns about Israel with Biden, and he nodded in response. Chile on Tuesday recalled its ambassador to Israel.

The pool was ushered out at 4:02 p.m.

In-town pool report #11 -- note on U.S.-Chile bilat

The White House passes this along:

The President is participating in a bilateral meeting with President Gabriel Boric Font of the Republic of Chile:

U.S. Manifest
The President
T.H. Jon Finer, Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor
T.H. Bernadette Meehan, Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Chile
T.H. Chris Dodd, Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas
T.H. Amos Hochstein, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President for Energy and Investment, National Security Council
T.H. Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs
T.H. Juan Gonzalez, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Western Hemisphere, National Security Council

Chile Manifest
President Gabriel Boric Font of the Republic of Chile
H.E. Alberto Van Klaveren, Minister of Foreign Affairs
H.E Juan Gabriel Valdes Ambassador of Chile to United States
H.E. Nicolas Grau, Minister of Economy
H.E. Claudia Sanheuza, Vice Minister of International Economic Relations
H.E. Beatriz de la Fuente, Director of North American Division, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Carlos Figueroa, Advisor to the President

In-town pool report #12 -- travel/photo lid

The White House called a travel/photo lid at 4:42. Have a good evening,

Foreign Pool Report #1 - Background Ahead of Meeting with President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic

¡Hola a todos!

I will be your foreign pooler today for the bilateral meetings that POTUS will have with both President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic and President Gabriel Boric of Chile. The first meeting is scheduled with Abinader at 12:00 PM. The Dominican Republic's Presidency has not clarified whether Abinader will address the press at the stakeout after the bilat.

Meetings:
This marks the first bilateral meeting between both leaders. Biden and Abinader have previously participated in international forums together, including the recent UN General Assembly in September 2023 and the Ninth Summit of the Americas in June 2022 in Los Angeles.

Schedule:
Abinader traveled from the Dominican Republic to the United States on Wednesday. This morning, he took part in the Americas Partnership - IDB Responsible Investment Forum, which is co-hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group and the United States Government. The Forum is organized in conjunction with the inaugural Americas Partnership Leaders’ Summit.
On Friday, Abinader is scheduled to participate in the inaugural Americas Partnership Leaders’ Summit. He also plans to meet with the President of the IDB, Ilan Goldfajn, and other Latin American heads of state, as announced by the Dominican Republic Presidency. He will return to the Dominican Republic on Friday evening.

Priorities for the bilat:

One of the main topics will be Haiti, the neighboring country of the Dominican Republic. The leaders are likely to discuss the multinational armed force led by Kenya, which was approved by the U.N. Security Council in early October to combat violent gangs. Abinader, who is seeking reelection next year, supports international efforts to stabilize Haiti but maintains that his country is already making significant contributions.

After the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, tensions between the two neighboring islands have escalated. In September this year, the Dominican Republic closed its border with Haiti in response to Haitian plans to build a canal on the Massacre River, citing violations of border treaties. However, in early October, there was a partial reopening of the border, but Haiti has since refused to allow its citizens to cross into Dominican territory. Additionally, as part of the canal dispute, the Dominican government suspended visas for Haitians. Furthermore, the Dominican Republic has deported tens of thousands of Haitian migrants fleeing escalating gang violence in their own country, leading to criticism from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

On the economic front, the Dominican government is concerned about what it perceives as a threat to its domestic rice production due to the tariff reduction schedule in the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA). Dominican authorities have repeatedly said they are considering measures to protect the local rice industry, which is regarded as a matter of national security. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), trade in goods and services between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic reached $30.5 billion in 2022.

Delegation accompanying Abinader to the United States:
The Dominican Republic presidency shared the list of officials accompanying Abinader on his trip to the United States. However, the list of officials joining him in the Oval Office was not confirmed during your pooler's latest conversation with the Dominican Republic Presidency.

• First Lady of the Dominican Republic, Raquel Arbaje
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Álvarez
• Minister of Finance, José Manuel Vicente
• Dominican businessman, Frank Rainieri

Bio:
Abinader, who is currently 56 years old, assumed office on August 16, 2020. He began his career in finance and the private sector, gaining recognition for his involvement in various business ventures, particularly within the tourism industry.
Affiliated with the center-right Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) in the Dominican Republic, Abinader ran as their candidate in the 2020 general election and secured a significant victory, becoming the first PRM member to hold the presidency.
As president, Abinader's focus has centered on addressing key Dominican issues, including economic development, healthcare, education, and strengthening ties with the United States. He will seek re-election in 2024.

As a curiosity, Abinader has described himself as a "boring" individual, abstaining from alcohol and dedicating his limited leisure time to watching dramatic television series.

Foreign pool report #2- Quotes Abinader + Answer from POTUS

When your foreing pool entered, POTUS and Abinader were seated next to each other, engaged in a conversation.

Abinader initiated his remarks by discussing the positive state of the bilateral relationship. He mentioned that both the United States and the Dominican Republic are dedicated to delivering the "fruits of democracy" to their respective populations. He stated: "We are firmly committed to combating illegal drugs and corruption."

He said that he is looking forward to hosting President Biden at the Summit of the Americas, scheduled to take place in the Dominican Republic in 2025. Abinader pointed out that the summit will be held in Punta Cana, so "you will be able to be on the beach"

In response to a shouted question, President Biden said he had"good news" and announced that 74 "dual citizens" had been evacuated from Gaza.

I will send fuller quotes momentarily.

Foreign pool report #3- Additional quotes from Abinader

Additional quotes:

Abinader thanked POTUS for hosting tomorrow the inaugural Americas Partnership Leaders' Summit. He said that the relationship of the Dominican Republic with the US is "better than ever"

"The Dominican people are your friends. The Dominican people are your allies, and the Dominican people are your partners. As you know, we have more than 2 million Dominican descendants in the United States. We are grateful forever for receiving them, and they are grateful too to this country."

"We are firmly committed to fighting against illegal drugs and corruption. He said that the Dominican Republic is "fighting corruption like never before and that this goal can be better accomplished if "we pursue it with constructive cooperation."

"The Dominican people are very proud of their economic recovery." He mentioned the importance of trade between the two countries. "We will continue to work hard for an even brighter future for all of our people."

Abinader made no mention of Haiti.

Foreign Pool Report #4 - Background Ahead of Meeting with President Gabriel Boric of Chile

Hello again!

I will be your foreing pooler for the bilateral meeting between POTUS and President Gabriel Boric of Chile. The meeting is scheduled for 2:45 PM. Boric will briefly address the press at the stakeout after the bilat.

Meetings/Calls:
This marks the first bilateral meeting between both leaders in the Oval Office. However, it is their second meeting, with the first one taking place on the sidelines of the Ninth Summit of the Americas in June 2022 in Los Angeles.
On December 30, 2021, Biden called Boric to offer his congratulations on Boric's election victory. Tomorrow, both leaders will join other heads of state from the Western Hemisphere in the inaugural Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Leaders' Summit.
Both presidents have previously engaged in international forums together, including the 77th and 78th sessions of the UN General Assembly in September 2022 and September 2023. Additionally, they are slated to participate in the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, scheduled to take place from November 11 to 17.

Schedule:
Boric arrived at Joint Base Andrews today in the morning. From the base, he went directly to participate in the Americas Partnership - IDB Responsible Investment Forum, co-hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group and the United States Government. The Forum is organized on the occasion of the inaugural Americas Partnership Leaders’ Summit. Following his meeting with Biden, Boric is scheduled to meet with the Secretary of Foreign Relations of Mexico, Alicia Bárcena.
On Friday, Boric is scheduled to participate in the inaugural Americas Partnership Leaders’ Summit. He also plans to meet with the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, as well as with the President of the IDB, Ilan Goldfajn. He will return to Chile on Friday.

Priorities for the bilat:
Much of the attention is expected to focus on whether Boric and Biden will discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict. Camila Vallejo, the spokesperson for the Chilean government, has indicated that Boric is open to discussing the conflict with Biden, along with Chile's urgent call for humanitarian aid to reach Gaza. On Tuesday, Boric announced the recall of Chile's ambassador to Israel, José Carvajal, for consultations in response to "Israel's violations of international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip." Chile, home to approximately 500,000 Palestinians, recognized Palestine as a "free, independent, and sovereign" state in 2011. Boric is a strong advocate for the Palestinian cause, and in September 2022, he declined to accept the credentials of the new Israeli Ambassador to Chile, Gil Artzyeli.

The war in Ukraine is also expected to be a topic of discussion between both leaders, as per Chilean sources. Since the war began in February 2022, Boric has consistently condemned the Russian invasion, urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his troops, supported UN sanctions against Russia, and sent humanitarian aid to Kiev.

Despite geopolitical tensions, the Chilean government anticipates that the primary focus of the meeting will revolve around trade and economic matters. One of the Chilean government's key objectives is to ensure that Chilean companies of various sizes, both large and small, can achieve enhanced access to the American market. This bilateral meeting coincides with the 20th anniversary of the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect in January 2004. In 2022, the trade between Chile and the United States amounted to $35.4 billion, with Chile being the primary supplier to the United States of various products, including salmon fillets, fresh grapes, blueberries, and salt.

As highlighted by both the Chilean and U.S. governments, the bilateral meeting coincides with the celebration of 200 years of diplomatic relations between Chile and the United States in 2023. In a statement on Tuesday, WH Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden "will reaffirm the United States' commitment to its partnership with Chile" during the meeting. The two leaders will also address shared concerns such as combating climate change and addressing irregular migration, as per Jean-Pierre.

Delegation joining Boric at the White House, according to the Chilean Presidency:

• Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, Alberto van Klaveren
• Chilean Ambassador to the United States, Juan Gabriel Valdés
• It is possible that the meeting may also include the Minister of Economy, Nicolás Grau, and the Director of InvestChile, Karla Flores. InvestChile is a public agency that promotes foreign investment in Chile. However, the final list was not confirmed during the last conversation your pooler had with the Chilean Presidency.

Bio:
Gabriel Boric, 37, has been serving as the President of Chile since March 11, 2022, making history as the country's youngest-ever president and achieving the highest number of votes for any presidential candidate in Chilean history.
Boric initially gained national recognition for his leadership in the 2011 Chilean student protests, advocating for comprehensive education reform and increased access to quality education for all. In 2014, he was elected as a member of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, representing the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic constituency.
During the 2019 civil unrest in Chile, Boric played a pivotal role in negotiating the agreement that led to the October 2020 constitutional referendum. As president, he has been working to replace the current constitution, which has been in effect since the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship (1973-1990). However, the initial constitutional draft was rejected by 62% of Chileans in a September 2022 referendum, a significant setback for Boric. Following this defeat, he restructured his cabinet, including representatives of the moderate left in the decision-making process regarding the new constitution. A new constitutional draft will be voted on in December 2023.

Foreign Pool Note #5 -Boric nodded when asked if he would raised concerns about Israel

When the initial remarks concluded, and the press pool was being ushered out of the Oval Office, a reporter asked Boric if he planned to raise concerns about Israel. Boric clearly nodded in affirmation.

During the initial remarks, Boric did not mention Israel. Instead, he referred to the "very hard" global issues and expressed confidence that these challenges can be resolved through the promotion of human rights and democracy.

Adding here some color: When the pool entered, POTUS and Boric were seated next to each other, engaged in conversation. The fireplace was lit. At the end of the remarks, both leaders exchanged a handshake and began to exchange whispers.

I will send fuller quotes momentarily.

Foreign Pool Note #6 – More quotes from Boric

Both leaders began their meeting by discussing their ages and when they were first elected to public office. Boric, who is now 37 years old, made history in 2022 when he became Chile's youngest president.

"You are too young," Biden said, provoking laughter, and he mentioned that he was first elected at the age of 29. In response, Boric stated that he was 35 when he was elected as president and emphasized that both are "sharing a similar path." "I hope I can get as far as you," Boric added.

After Biden delivered his opening remarks, Boric began his own remarks, noting that the bilateral meeting coincides with the celebration of 200 years of diplomatic relations between Chile and the United States in 2023, as well as the 20th anniversary of the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement, which took effect in January 2004.

"I look forward to strengthening our relationship," Boric expressed. He also said he was very happy to participate tomorrow in the inaugural Americas Partnership Leaders' Summit.

Boric pointed out that he shares many values with Biden and praised how Biden "recently supported workers here in the United States," referring to POTUS's support for striking UAW workers. "I think that is very valuable," Boric remarked.

"We have a lot of topics to discuss, including the green transition, migration, economic development, and, of course, the some issues that are ongoing in this world that is very hard nowadays", he noted.

Foreign Pool Note #7 – Quotes from Boric at the sticks

Some quotes from Boric at the sticks. He talked in Spanish, here the translation in English. Please let me know if you need anything else.

On Israel-Hamas

Boric expressed his concern to Biden about the situation in the Gaza Strip. "Day by day, the number of civilian casualties continues to rise, and with over 8,000 deaths since the beginning of Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip, we can undoubtedly say that the response has been disproportionate. International humanitarian law is being violated, and what is happening in the Gaza Strip is unacceptable."
He mentioned that as the President of Chile, he "strongly and categorically" condemns the attacks by Hamas on October 7th but added: "We do not accept being forced to choose between one side or the other. Both these attacks by Hamas, which are unjustifiable and deserve global condemnation, and what the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is doing, deserve our strongest condemnation. The right to self-defense of a state has limits, and these limits include respecting the lives of innocent civilians, primarily children, and international humanitarian law."
When asked about Biden's response to his comments by a reporter, Boric stated that it was not his place to discuss that. "It's not my place to speak for President Biden", he said.

On Venezuela
Boric mentioned that he discussed with Biden the "efforts" to safeguard "democracy in Latin America." He stated: "In that regard, I expressed my appreciation for the lifting of sanctions on Venezuela, in particular in matters related to energy investments and other areas." He also conveyed to Biden his desire to continue collaborating with other countries such as Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia to ensure that the elections in Venezuela next year "have all the necessary guarantees."

On Cuba
Boric conveyed to Biden the necessity of lifting sanctions on Cuba "given the difficult situation that the Cuban people are going through. It is imperative to lift the sanctions on Cuba and remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. We firmly believe that it is not"
"They (in reference to the US) are in a process of debate about it, and we understand that this issue ignites strong emotions in the United States. However, we must consider that these sanctions are not targeting just a government; they are affecting a whole population. When a people suffer, it should concern all of us," he added.