Haiti, Dominican Republic look to business to ease friction

Barahona, Dominican Republic.- The governments and business leaders ofthe Dominican Republic and Haiti will work together to surmount frictions, accordingto a list of agreements reached Tuesday in the more than four hour meeting betweenDominican president Danilo Medina and Haiti´s Michel Martelly.

After the meeting at MariaMontez Airport in Barahona, Dominican foreign minister Andrés Navarro and Haiticounterpart Stephanie Balmir Villedrouin, read the document with the agreements,including improving trade and normalize freight transport between the twocountries, for which a meeting in Port-au-Prince will be held in the next 15days.

Business initiative

Other points agreedincluded a working visit by Medina to Port au Prince, support for the Quisqueyainitiative involving the private sectors of the two countries and maintainingconstant communication and coordination to harmonize the repatriation of undocumentedpeople.

Moreover, theappointment of a new Haitian ambassador to the Dominican Republic and the returnof the Dominican envoy in Haiti, as well as resuming the work of the JointBilateral Commission.

Dominican Chief ofstaff Gustavo Montalvo and Haiti Tourism minister and acting Foreign affairsminister Stephanie B. Villedrouin were designated to follow up on the pointsand ensure coordination of ties between the two countries.