CHAIRMAN of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), President Michel Joseph Martelly, of Haiti, yesterday wrapped up his first visit to Guyana and inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guyana, deepening ties with its southern most CARICOM neighbour. The Haitian President, at a press briefing at the CARICOM Secretariat in Liliendaal, told members of the regional and local media corps that key among his meetings with the Secretary General of CARICOM, Ambassador Irwin La Rocque, was the way forward on implementing the decisions made recently in Haiti during the 24th Intercessional Meeting of its Heads of State.
Key among those discussions was the matter of security in the Region, and according to Martelly, it includes food safety and traceability, which he said is important as Haiti seeks to take advantage of the trade opportunities available within the CARICOM Region and globally, “so that our products would meet the standards demanded by the various country.”
He reminded that Haiti has since taken the lead role on the issue, and said that the Haitian Ministers Trade and Foreign Affairs have since held discussions on the issue with their local counterparts at the Secretariat.
A team from CARICOM will as a result visit the recently earthquake ravaged country to look at the work which is already being done and applying the Haitian project on traceability to all CARICOM members.
Guyana yesterday was the first among CARICOM nations to sign onto the initiative.
Martelly told the media corps that following discussions with Head of State, Donald Ramotar, “our two countries signed the MOU on this matter.”
Commenting on his engagement with Ramotar, the Haitian President said that the two discussed ways of implementing the decisions taken at the recent intercessional regarding security in the Region as well as the complete reform of CARICOM as a body.
Ramotar and Martelly also reportedly discussed what he called the “CARICOM Aid for Trade Strategy.”
The Haitian president was adamant that his country would prefer mutually beneficial arrangements, where, rather than countries seek to pour aid towards the earthquake ravaged country, there can be investment in the country’s rebuilding effort, particularly its infrastructure. He said that he also discussed with Ramotar, ways in which that country could more fully participate in CARICOM.
Martelly, who once traded on the name ‘Sweet Mickey’ as a musician, conceded that before assuming political office, he was not quite aware of what CARICOM was and the opportunities that exist and that further, he was learning to be a President.
“We agreed that a team from the CARICOM Secretariat headed by the Secretary General would visit Haiti for a full comprehensive briefing on the activities of CARICOM and “how this important work can directly assist Haiti.”
These discussions, he said, will be with the Government of Haiti, particularly its Cabinet, as well as its private sector and civil society.”
This, he said, will also include a particular emphasis on how and what Haiti must do in order to fully participate in the CARICOM grouping, in order to access the derived benefits, such as those espoused in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
Martelly said that he is looking forward to working with Guyana and the other members of CARICOM towards formulating and deepening initiatives aimed at making meaningful progress for the benefit of all people.
Martelly said that he is hopeful that enterprisers in the region would recognize the investment opportunities in Haiti as he sought to send a message of the nation’s reduced dependency on aid.
“See it as an opportunity to reinvigorate the energy sector, the agricultural sector, the re-construction…we need ports, airports, buildings…what we really want is to create jobs for our people.”