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Haiti - FLASH : Press conference by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken 06/09/2024 10:12:34
Excerpts from Blinken's press conference : "I came to Haiti today to meet with Prime Minister Conille, the Transitional Presidential Council, other political and security leaders, to advance our shared commitment to a secure and democratic Haiti. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43143-haiti-politic-antony-blinken-s-quick-visit-to-port-au-prince.html [...] The United States appreciates Haiti’s leaders putting aside their differences, working together to put the country on the path to free and fair elections. And we look forward to the TPC swiftly naming a Provisional Electoral Council to organize those elections. That is the critical next step. We also welcome Haitian efforts to address corruption allegations and promote transparency and accountability. These are essential for this transition government to maintain the trust of the Haitian people. [...] As this political process has moved forward, in parallel, so too is the necessary efforts to provide a strong security foundation. And in particular, the Multinational Security Support mission, authorized by the United Nations last year. In recent weeks, the MSS, with the Haitian National Police, has increased joint operations, taking the fight to the gangs and delivering a powerful message: The Haitian people – not Haitian gangs – will write the country’s future. As a result, the airport’s reopened. Commercial flights have resumed, allowing goods to enter the country. In parts of Port-au-Prince, there’s more economic activity, more markets reopened, more people venturing out. Lors de mes rencontres d’aujourd’hui avec les dirigeants de la MMSS et la PNH, nous avons discuté de la manière de garantir que le personnel de sécurité soit bien formé, bien équipé et responsable afin qu’il puisse travailler efficacement contre la violence et l’instabilité, et maintenir l’élan d’Haïti. The United States, for our part, has already delivered over $300 million to support this multinational mission – sending armored vehicles, radios, night-vision goggles; standing up an entire base of operations – and we’ll be getting more assistance here more quickly. [...] But at this critical moment, we do need more funding, we do need more personnel, to sustain and carry out the objectives of this mission. The United States has been actively working to secure this additional support. In a couple of weeks, we’ll be at the United Nations for the General Assembly. I intend to convene a ministerial meeting to encourage greater contributions to help meet Haiti’s security needs, its economic needs, its humanitarian needs, as well as to renew the mission’s mandate, which expires in early October. We’re the largest contributor of humanitarian assistance to Haiti. That includes an additional $45 million in humanitarian aid that I’m announcing today, bringing the total U.S. aid to over $210 million this year. That means more food, more water, more sanitation, more health and support services, for one and a half million more Haitians. In the long term, the United States is working to return Haiti to the path of growth and opportunity, including through a whole-of-government strategy that the United States and Haitian stakeholders have developed to prevent conflict and promote stability here in Haiti. We’re particularly focused in shoring up the apparel sector, which constitutes a quarter of Haiti’s GDP, 90 percent of its exports, and employs tens of thousands of Haitians. The United States’ HOPE/HELP trade preference program is an essential part of this effort, incentivizing companies to locate factories here by allowing Haitian-produced clothing to be exported to the United States duty-free. Now, we’re very clear-eyed about what is required to address Haiti’s challenges. It’s an enormous amount of work to be done. The challenges are significant. But I think from just a few hours here today, meeting with leaders, talking to people, as well as being immersed in the work that we’ve done these past few months, what I am seeing is tremendous resilience and the emergence – the re-emergence – of hope. We see it in young police recruits who are ready to reclaim their communities. We see it in citizens who see the transition government beginning to address challenges with seriousness and a sense of purpose. We see it in parents who can begin again to imagine going out to the supermarket, sending their kids to school without fear. Everyone that I met today cares about this country and is committed to its future. And I want the people of Haiti to know that the United States is with you – (in French) – will remain with you, and many other countries are as well. So I think we’ve seen a good start to moving Haiti forward, but much remains to be done. We’re determined to continue. We’re determined to help the Haitian people write the future that they deserve." SL/ HaitiLibre
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