Tuesday, Antonio Rodrigue, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Haiti's Ambassador of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Peterson Benjamin Noël and Haiti's Ambassador to Canada, Frantz Liautaud, to discuss the 29th session of the CARICOM Conference of Heads of State and Government to be held on February 26 and 27, 2018, in Port-au-Prince, bringing together 14 delegations of members of the Caribbean Community and 3 associate members: the Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands. 10 Heads of State and Government also confirmed their presence in Haiti.

Minister Rodrigue reported on preparations for the event. Stressing that many visitors will come to the country, not only for the conference, but also to discover Haiti. The Chancellor invited the Haitians to welcome these foreigners with great warmth, to offer them their hospitality and to help these visitors leave Haiti with a better impression of the country.

The Conference will be preceded by a talk the day before on a more comprehensive integration of countries at the CARICOM level. Some points that will be developed during this 29th meeting: the major natural hazards that constitute one of the main concerns of CARICOM; the increase in insurance premiums granted to Caribbean countries in the event of natural disasters; climate change and its negative effects on the economy; security in the region as part of a common security policy.

Other topics will also be on the agenda, including the "Caricom Single Market Economy" (CSME) which will allow the circulation of goods, of services and people from the different countries of the region; traffic between the citizens of the Caribbean countries who advocate for more connection and the creation of air and maritime links.

Finally, the tourism development of the region will be discussed, including a unique tourist police; of Cricket, a sport widely practiced by Caribbean countries; the integration of French as an official language in CARICOM, as well as procedural issues and conflicts between certain countries.

HL/ HaitiLibre