Bernard Kouchner will travel to Haiti on Saturday 25 and Sunday, September 26. A little more than seven months after the visit the president of the Republic, this visit will renew the active solidarity of France towards this country. This third visit of the minister to Haiti in a year will also be an opportunity to review aid implemented by France.

In an interview with President René Préval, the Minister will have the opportunity to provide the Haitian authorities to action and solidarity of France for continuous reconstruction. The commitments made by President of the Republic are required and implemented in the field: using the recovery capabilities of the Haitian state, helping to raise the educational system, major projects in the health field in particular.

The minister will travel to State University Hospital of Haiti (Hôpital universitaire d’État d’Haïti), greatly damaged by the earthquake. With the Minister of Health of Haiti and the United States ambassador, Bernard Kouchner will inaugurate the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the main hospital in Port-au-Prince in the presence of Alex Larsen Haitian Minister of Health. This proposed $50 million will be realized in partnership with the Haitian and American. The minister signed with Clinton September 20, 2010 a partnership agreement for the reconstruction of this hospital.

At a working meeting with Ronald Baudin, Minister of Economy and Finance of Haiti, Bernard Kouchner will sign an agreement for the payment of the second tranche of €20 million of our aid budget for 2010. A release of five million euros in direct budget support had been made as of April. Twenty million are expected in 2011.

In view of presidential and legislative elections to be held November 28, Bernard Kouchner will recall the support of France for the mission of electoral observation of the OAS and the CARICOM (financial support and put to provision of about fifteen observers). It matters that these elections are free, transparent and equitable.

The minister will meet representatives of the French community and will give the medal of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and European to the agents of the embassy of France which showed an exemplary devotion since the catastrophe, in the presence of a detachment of French gendarmes the UN Mission for Stabilization in Haiti. The Minister also inaugurate the new buildings of the French Institute in Port-au-Prince.

Finally, Bernard Kouchner will have the opportunity to meet with major French NGOs present in Haiti, during a working dinner.

HL/ HaitiLibre