During an official reception given for businessmen from the National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP). at the National Palace in Port-Au-Prince, the Haitian President, Rene Preval, said that he hopes to take concrete steps to formalize a trade agreement between the two nations. Mr. Preval met President Joaquin Balaguer at the National Palace in Santo Domingo on 12 March, the first official state visit by the Haitian President since he took office on 7 February. Mr. Preval told the businessmen that on the visit that he and several Haitian business leaders made to the D.R., he would look for “an additional push” for the formalizing of trade between the neighboring nations which, for years, have enjoyed a very informal trade relationship.
15-21 March 1996