On
Tue., Aug. 30, 2016 in Pétionville, Haitian Foreign
Minister Pierrot Délienne met his Dominican counterpart
Miguel Vargas Maldonado, who visited Haiti for several
hours.
"Driven by a common will to work together for the
rapprochement our two countries which share this island,
we realized that it was quite important and in the
interests of our two peoples to strengthen and
revitalize the dialogue for tightening and consolidating
the links between them," said Mr. Délienne after the
meeting.
For the head of Haitian diplomacy, Mr.
Maldonado’s visit was proof of the Dominican
authorities’ willingness to work towards harmonizing
bilateral relations. He recalled that the two countries
share both history and geography, adding that the
culture of friendship, development, cooperation, and
solidarity are the cornerstones of building their
future.
"We have an obligation to strengthen the
foundations of a lasting understanding and mutual
respect through a fruitful dialogue on all matters of
interest to both countries," he said. He emphasized
Haiti’s desire to maintain good neighborly relations
with the Dominican Republic.
"The reality of our bilateral relations spurs us
to tackle this task with renewed energy," Mr. Délienne
said, asserting that he and his counterpart should not
fail at a time when both countries are facing many
challenges calling for concerted and sustained action.
"The difficulties that affect us every day can be more
easily solved with normal relations between neighbors,
so our duty is to work tirelessly to overcome them."
For his part, Dominican Foreign Minister Miguel
Vargas Maldonado said he welcomed the exchange of ideas
on the development of bilateral relations during this
new period of the government of President Danilo Medina,
who was re-elected in May.
"The goal is to achieve a frank and sincere
dialogue in which agreement can far exceed the
differences," he said. Mr. Maldonado assured that the
Dominican Republic is committed to regional and local
security, particularly in fighting trafficking of drug,
arms, and humans by transnational criminal
organizations.
"I anticipate a greater commitment to fruitful
exchanges to combine the best practices of both
countries. (...) I can assure you that there is a real
interest in working shoulder to shoulder with our
Haitian brothers to generate wealth, to strengthen ties,
and to build on the strengths to overcome weaknesses,"
said the Dominican chancellor.
In his speech, Mr. Maldonado praised Haiti's
history, while saying that the time has come to sit down
and seriously discuss a treaty that would boost
bilateral trade, create wealth for both peoples, and
strengthen historical trade ties.
"Haiti is a neighbor of dignity tested throughout
a history dotted with dramas, but also heroism,” he
said. “They are a people of surprising energy, who have
faced huge adversities without losing social cohesion.”
Following this meeting, the authorities of both
countries agreed on the need to meet regularly to
restore the work of a bilateral joint commission.
|