Executive

Haiti Holds Several Bilateral Meetings with Latin and South American Dignitaries

ASUNCION, Paraguay (defend.ht) - Saturday, October 29, 2011. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Religious Affairs, His Excellency Laurent Lamothe, attended the 28th and 29th October to 21st Ibero-American Summit in Asunción, Paraguay, bringing together most of the Heads of State and Government of Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula.

A luncheon was held, Friday, October 28, the Secretariat of the Summit in honor of special guests. This meeting allowed the organizers to make an inventory of multiple topics related to the summit entitled "Transformation of the State and Development". The variety of themes reflects the viewpoints of various sectors of public opinion.

During the course of this important summit, Saturday, October 29, an Action Plan for the implementation of cooperation in the Ibero-American region was developed. It takes into account, inter alia, the need for a new equation, state / society in which the state must have a leading role. To this end, participants agreed on the need to improve the basic infrastructure necessary for the promotion of investment and the public administration, effective and efficient, focusing on citizenship. In this sense, Spain took the opportunity to reaffirm its commitments vis-à-vis the Ibero-American region.

To strengthen the South / South cooperation for the benefit of the Haitian people

Lamothe the Chancellor had, in addition, several bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of the region on key issues linking Haiti and the brotherly peoples of Latin America. With Argentina, discussions were held, among other things, about the United Nations Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Minister Lamothe has also requested his counterpart, Chancellor Héctor Timerman, technical assistance in the form of a training grant for the benefit of Haitian students in the fields of agriculture and sport. Laurent Lamothe took the opportunity to extend an invitation to the Argentine entrepreneurs to invest in Haiti.

The Chancellor of Paraguay Jorge Lara Castro, whose country holds, from Sunday, the presidency of UNASUR, is considering an exploratory visit to Haiti to strengthen cooperation with Haiti in the areas of priority for the Haitian government and provides for the signing of a basic agreement of technical cooperation and technology transfer in several areas, including agriculture.

For its part, Brazil, through its Vice-Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean, Antonio José Ferreira Simões, envisages cooperation with Haiti in the areas of energy (power plant construction in the Artibonite and possibly in the rest of the country) and agriculture (Project "Zero hambre" "No to Hunger," intended to reach 100 thousand mothers to enable them to provide necessary food for their children in the program President Martelly free education.)

The Director General of Cooperation of Mexico, Jose Octavio Tripp, includes projects in the field of health. The construction of three clinics in Port-au-Prince and 14 public markets, are among the promises made in Haiti by senior Mexican. While ensuring the continuity of scholarship programs for Haitian students, he promised to promote investment in Haiti, particularly in the energy sector.

With his counterpart from the Dominican Republic, Ing. Carlos Morales Troncoso, the Chancellor Lamothe waved the issue of revitalization of the Joint Committee Haitian-dominicaine through which all topics of interest will be discussed. Themes related to migration, security, trade, energy, education and promotion of investment, were also on the agenda of trade between the two Foreign Ministers shared the island Caribbean.

Spanish Chancellor, Mr. Trinidad Jimenez, on the sidelines of his meeting with the Minister LAMOTHE, promised to support Haiti as a permanent member of the Ibero-American Summit. A new cooperation agreement will be signed, according to the Chancellor of Spain, in the areas of drinking water, education, school transportation and technical assistance. The Spanish Minister has offered on this occasion, scholarships for young Haitian, Haiti has invited his counterpart to visit Spain in 60 days.

The President of Suriname, HE Desiree Delano Bouterse and his Foreign Minister, Winston Lackin, announced the signing, with the Minister Lamothe, a cooperation agreement on the construction. Scholarships will be offered to Haitian diplomats in Suriname. Surinamese authorities have also granted work visas 5.000 in agriculture and technology to Haitian nationals, invited the Chancellor Laurent Lamothe to visit Suriname.

With the Chancellor of Chile, Alfredo Morales, it is expected the signing of a bilateral cooperation framework that will include the one hand, supply a portion of the Chilean contingent in MINUSTAH be redirected to projects development (roads, bridges, road maintenance ...), and, secondly, a proposal to assist Haiti in terms of education and vocational training. Chile also promises to support Haiti's membership in the Ibero-American Summit.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Roberto Henriquez, pleaded, in turn, for the strengthening of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The regulation of commercial activities in Panama, Haiti was also at the heart of talks between the Chancellor Lamothe and his counterpart from Panama.

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