On Friday, April 17, delegations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Haiti and the Ministry of External Relations of the Dominican Republic met to continue the dialogue on priority issues on the bilateral agenda...

This meeting is based on the Joint Declaration signed in Elías Piña on January 10, 2021, by the late President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti and President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, whose nine points constitute the bilateral agenda for exchanges between the two nations (https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32758-haiti-flash-9-joint-commitments-between-haiti-and-the-dominican-republic.html). It also demonstrates the commitment of the Haitian government, under Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, to strengthening bilateral dialogue, in a spirit of mutual understanding and with full respect for the sovereignty of both nations, on issues of common interest.

The Haitian delegation was led by Raina Forbin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and included the Ambassador of Haiti to the Dominican Republic, Emmanuel Fritz Longchamp; the Chief of Staff, Winnie Hugot Gabriel; The Director of Political Affairs, Jean-Claude Lappé, and the Director of Dominican Affairs, Yves Rody Jean, were present.

The Dominican Republic delegation was led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Roberto Álvarez, and included the Vice Minister of Multilateral Foreign Policy, Rubén Silié; the Vice Minister of Bilateral Foreign Policy, Francisco Caraballo; the Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Haiti, Faruk Miguel; the Director of Strategic Studies and Analysis, Emil Chireno; the Legal Director, Boni Guerrero; and Counselor Jatzel Román.

During this working session, the delegations engaged in a frank and constructive exchange on the main agenda items, with a particular focus on border security, including cooperation mechanisms aimed at strengthening border control and surveillance; migration issues; and trade.

During this meeting, both parties agreed to the reopening of airspace between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, allowing the resumption of air links between Cap-Haitien International Airport and Dominican airports, effective May 1st, 2026. This measure aims to facilitate mobility, boost economic relations, and strengthen ties between the two countries.

The delegations also expressed their gratitude to the international community for its support of efforts to assist Haitian authorities in restoring peace in Haiti, particularly the United Nations and the French Gang Supression Force (GSF), in their decisions and actions aimed at restoring security and institutional stability.

Both delegations reiterated their commitment to maintaining open channels of communication and continuing bilateral dialogue as the preferred method for addressing issues of common interest, within a framework of mutual respect, good neighborliness, and in accordance with international law. They also agreed to follow up on the understandings gained from this meeting through future high-level technical exchanges.

HL/ HaitiLibre