A day after the visit to the Dominican Republic of Tom Perez, senior advisor to the US President and director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Relations announced the reinstating of talks regarding the Masacre/Dajabon River canal construction in Haiti.
Talks have been ongoing motivated by the Jesuits community and the business sectors in Dajabon province, but had been at a standstill between the governments. Both Haitian and Dajabon business sectors have been calling for the resuming of regular trade.
The Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Dominican Republic issued a note stating that on 9 and 10 January 2024, delegations headed by Foreign Relations Minister Roberto Alvarez of the Dominican Republic and Haiti Foreign Relations Minister Jean Victor Geneus had met in good faith in Washington, at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS), with the objective of resuming the conversation on the dispute related to the construction of the Pittobert canal and the use of the water resources of the Dajabón/Masacre river.
The note from the Ministry of Foreign Relations explains that the delegations shared their views on the matter and explored various options to reach a just, equitable and reasonable solution, in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Peace, Perpetual Friendship and Arbitration of 20 February 1929 and international law that governs the matter.
The Ministry of Foreign Relations note says that the discussions also addressed other issues on the binational agenda, such as migration, trade and cross-border security, and were carried out in a constructive manner.
Both parties agreed on the need to carry out a technical study with the support of a qualified international organization, selected by common agreement, to determine the hydrological, environmental and social reality of the Dajabón/Masacre river basin, both on the eastern Dominican side and in the western Haitian side.
The note states that the parties agreed to continue the conversation at a later time.
The US Presidency issued a note on the visit of Perez in what concerns Haiti stating:
“Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez travelled to the Dominican Republic January 8-10 to build on the November 2 discussions between President Joe Biden and President Luis Abinader on economic cooperation, combatting climate change, and addressing the humanitarian and security crisis in Haiti. Senior Advisor Perez was joined by Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere at the National Security Council Juan González. During their meeting with President Abinader, Senior Advisor Perez reiterated the United States’ commitment to strengthening regional economic cooperation under the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (APEP) and recognized the Dominican Republic’s leadership in the initiative. He also briefed President Abinader on the robust international support for the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support Mission to Haiti. During a separate meeting with Labor Minister Luis Miguel de Camps, Senior Advisor Perez discussed our collaboration to generate sustainable economic development and opportunities for the people of the Dominican Republic.
Senior Advisor Perez also visited one of the forty Dominican clinics that receive support to respond to HIV through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) – in the last 15 years, the Dominican Republic has received more than US$250 million through PEPFAR. The Senior Advisor also met with private sector executives to promote the expansion of the commercial relationship between the United States and the Dominican Republic, and with civil society members to discuss issues related to democratic values, human rights, and labor rights.”
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US White House
Ministry of Foreign Relations
Diario Libre
Diario Libre
Listin Diario
El Caribe
DR1 News
15 January 2024