A first round of talks was held in Mexico City from September 30 to October 2, between delegations, Haitian and Mexican, on a draft agreement on the promotion and reciprocal protection of investments between the two countries.

This agreement aims to implement the wishes of the President Martelly in Merida last April on the sidelines of the summits of the Association of Caribbean States and CARICOM-Mexico and favorably welcomed by his counterpart Enrique Peña Nieto, to make Haiti the gateway to the Caribbean Common Market for Mexico.

This agreement should allow Mexican companies producing in Haiti to export, free of customs duties, to other CARICOM countries, a market of 8 million people to which must be added a floating population of 25 million tourists visiting the region annually. This represents a great opportunity for Haiti to create jobs through its territory through Mexican investment. Meanwhile, Haitian entrepreneurs interested in investing in Mexico, will also be protected by this agreement.

According to members of the Haitian delegation headed by Chenet St-Vil, General Coordinator of the Haiti office of international trade negotiationsand composed of Marc-Franck Larose, Director of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Garvey Jean-Pierre and Sophia Désir, respectively Minister Counsellor and Advisor to the Embassy of Haiti in Mexico, the first exchanges were fruitful.

"We have made ​​considerable progress in the work towards the conclusion of the agreement," confirmed Guillermo Malpica, the head of the Mexican delegation.

A second round of discussions is scheduled for early December in Port-au-Prince.

HL/ HaitiLibre