Bautista Rojas Gomez, Dominican Minister of the Environment, received on Wednesday, Edner Jean Nelson, National Ordonateur of European Funds in Haiti, Wilson Laleau, the Minister of Industry and Commerce of Haiti and Gesner Champagne, Advisor to the President of Haiti for environmental issues. The meeting was followed by Antonio Vargas Hernandez, Director General of Multilateral Cooperation and Ordonateur of European Funds for Development in the Dominican Republic, Dr. Onofre Rojas, Executive Director of the Association of Greater Santo Domingo, Patricia Abreu and Manuel Serrano, respectively Vice Minister of International Cooperation and of Forest Resources.

At this meeting, the parties expressed support for the creation of a bilateral fund to support the recovery of the environment in the border area and the creation of favorable conditions for the development of micro, small and medium enterprises, which will serve as the counterpart of € 7.2 million provided by the European funds.

Haitian authoritieshighlighted the success of the reforestation program "Quisqueya Verde" and the "Seed bank endemic and native of the Dominican Republic" and requested the local technical support, for the initiatives announced by the President Martelly, who declared 2013 Year of the environment in Haiti.

In this regard, the Minister Bautista Rojas Gomez, has expressed his willingness to assist the Haitian technicians in their recovery plans of the forest cover, and stressed the importance, that the environmental issue is part of the agenda being developed by the Joint Bilateral Commission (CMB).

The Ministre Laleau declared that it was impossible to develop Haiti's economy, without taking into account the current conditions of natural resources and the environment "Working to overcome the problems of the environment, is the basic tool to fight against poverty and for that, we need to work on awareness and educational programs."

Technicians of the two sister Nations, will undertake a series of meetings to find lasting solutions to support especially the border and focus on reforestation, watershed management and the creation of an ecological corridor between the two countries.

HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre