ARTICLE - BILATERAL JOINT COMMISSION

REACTIVATION OF THE BILATERAL JOINT COMMISSION
(Haiti Libre) -

The Foreign Minister, Laurent Lamothe and his counterpart from the Dominican Republic, Carlos Morales Troncoso, have agreed to reactivate the work of the Bilateral Joint Commission (CMB) Haitiano-Dominicano and give new impetus to the strengthening of exchanges between the two nations.

The two chancellors held their first working meeting at the 21st Summit of Ibero-American Heads of State and Government, held in Paraguay last weekend. In addition to the bilateral agenda, they talked about the interest of President Michel Martelly, of making an official visit to the Dominican Republic, now that the new Haitian government is fully constituted.

Mr. Lamothe and Troncoso also revealed that they will convene a bi-national meeting to define all the details of the implementation of the university that the Dominican government is building in Limonade, near Cap-Haitien. Without giving a specific date, they indicated that the authorities of higher education, science and technology of both countries, and representatives of the international organization of La Francophonie, will participate at this meeting.

Minister Lamothe informed his counterpart from the Dominican Republic of the measures taken by Haiti to become a member of the Ibero-American Conference, a request initiated in 2009 by President Leonel Fernández to Latin American countries, during an official visit to Spain.

The Minister Troncoso, speaking of the importance of the regional integration, stressed that the participation of Haiti would be interesting at the next meeting of CARIFORO to be held in Dominica in November, which aims to strengthen the process of governance of the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union.

Other issues discussed by the two foreign ministers were among others, the support of the Dominican Republic in tourism, migration and security for Haitians in the Dominican Republic who travel to shop, the situation of border markets , progress in the process of restoration of areas affected by January 12 and the role played by the Interim Commission for the Reconstruction of Haiti (IHRC).