EU clueless on Haiti ban of Dominican products, urges talks

Santo Domingo.- European Union ambassador Irene Horejs on Tuesday said Haiti and the Dominican Republic should hold "technical" talks to resolve bilateral trade disputes stoked by Port-au-Prince’s ban on several Dominican products.

Although she urged both countries to live in harmony on the island they share, she noted however that “there are always ups and downs” in any dialogue toward a relationship of coexistence.

“There are times when there are disputes, for various reasons, and there are times when you can move forward and in that sense we recognize the wiliness for dialogue shown by the Dominican government, as it has stated several times, but we don’t know the Haitian government’s exact expressions and reactions," the diplomat said.

Horejs, speaking during the signing of addendum to the agreement on the EU’s Development Fund, said the European Union “doesn’t know why Haiti has banned the entry of Dominicans products."