Bilateral talks under the High Level Commission for the Dominican Republic and Haiti continued between the two countries yesterday, Thursday 8 May with the signing of four agreements. Two Dominican Republic government ministers traveled to Haiti and two Haiti government ministers came to the DR for the signing.
Dominican Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia Fernandez and his Haitian counterpart Stephanie Balmir Villedrouin signed a bilateral agreement at the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Santo Domingo. DR Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso, Haitian ambassador Fritz Cineas, and the president and executive vice president of the DR National Association of Hotels and Tourism Luis Rodriguez and Arturo Villanueva were also present.
The framework establishes that the agreement falls under the laws of both countries and includes cooperation in responsible and sustainable tourism. The technical-touristic agreement covers legislative, planning, regulation, training, tourist security and health, air transport and environment matters, among other topics. The agreement establishes that both parties commit to promoting relationships and agreements with private entities from both countries in order to stimulate tourism investment in each country. The technical assistance is tied to specific agreements and the ministers will serve as liaisons.
The Dominican Republic’s Interior and Police Minister Jose Ramon Fadul (Monchi) and Haiti’s Interior Minister Reginald Delva also met and signed another agreement at the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Santo Domingo and committed to working to strengthen friendship ties between both countries. Minister Fadul announced that work on the National Status Legalization Plan would begin as of 1 June 2014 as planned. Fadul said that Haitians make up the largest number of immigrant nationals in the country. As reported in El Nuevo Diario, Reginald Delva said that his government would cooperate with the plan by providing documentation to its citizens. Nevertheless, he said that care would be taken to prevent fugitives from Haitian jails, who escaped after the 2010 earthquake, from benefiting from the legalization plan. He said that his country would follow up on complaints of mistreatment of Dominicans in Haiti and announced that both countries would work towards combating trafficking in Haitian children.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Jose del Castillo and Minister of Public Health Freddy Hidalgo traveled to Haiti and signed two more agreements.
Minister Wilson Laleau of Haiti signed the industry and trade agreement. The agreement covers reciprocity in exchange of goods and services, respect for sanitary and phyto-sanitary regulations, exchange of information on national trade rules and notification prior to the imposition of any measure, ruling or regulation on commerce, with the exception of sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures.
The agreement signed with the ministers of public health agrees to strengthen HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention work, epidemiological monitoring and control of diseases transmitted by vectors and cholera.
http://presidencia.gob.do/comunicados/rd-y-hait%C3%AD-y-avanzan-en-cooperacion-sobre-salud-turismo-y-comerciohel