ARTICLE - MARTELLY AND ALBA

PRESIDENT OF HAITI RATIFIES INTEREST TO JOIN ALBA
(Prensa Latina) -

Caracas - President Michel Martelly ratified his interest for Haiti to be a full member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA).

In an exclusive interview with TeleSur, the Head of State of the Caribbean nation explained that they would thus have access to all benefits the sub regional block offers to its members.

"We have verified what ALBA is about, because our position before was as an observer and to be a full member we need to hear the proposals to have a better understanding and later advance", he asserted.

The leader clarified that Haiti has been an observer since 2007, and will participate in the XI ALBA Summit to explore what it really means to be a full member of ALBA.

Martelly considered that it was useful to have been an observer, as it gave the opportunity to verify how good some of the programs were, like Patrocaribe, and other agreements that mechanism offers his country, which support the initiative to join as an active member.

In his declarations, he thanked, on behalf of the Haitian people, the assistance that they receive from the countries of the region, like Venezuela, and added that through Petrocaribe they could also have great benefits if they become an active member of ALBA.

He also ratified the importance of working with brother peoples for the reconstruction of the Caribbean nation, devastated by an earthquake on January 12, 2010 that left 316,000 dead and 1.5 million victims.

Martelly arrived in Venezuela on Friday to attend the XI ALBA Summit this Saturday, with an agenda of 16 main topics, among them the support for the reconstruction of Haiti, and for Argentina in the conflict with the United Kingdom for sovereignty over the Falklands.