During his speech in a panel on "the Dominican foreign policy towards Haiti" Miguel Vargas the Dominican Minister of Foreign Affairs said that commercial exports to Haiti had exceeded 800 million dollars in 2017.

Vargas pointed out that Haiti is one of the Dominican Republic's top five trading partners and that its Ministry's objective was to help its economic and social development, create jobs and improve welfare in both countries.

He recalled that the Dominican Republic "[...] puts forward today a competitive and dynamic diplomacy capable of promoting trade, foreign investment and tourism [...]"

Miousemine Célestin, Chargé d'Affaires ai at the Embassy of Haiti in Santo Domingo, welcomed the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for this panel and expressed the need to find solutions to face the socio-economic problems along the border.

Moreover, she insisted on the need to effectively control the flow of goods transiting on both sides of the border, in order to increase tax revenues in both nations "Countries need to place more effective controls and must continue to develop economy, we must act and look for ways to get more revenue."

TOP 5 DR exports (2016) :

1) United States: $ 4.78 billion;

2) Canada: 883 million;

3) Haiti: 799 million;

4) India: 643 million;

5) Switzerland: 346 million.

SL/ HaitiLibre