CARICOM Secretary-General, Dr. Carla Barnett has expressed the importance of French-speaking Caribbean country, Haiti, to the Caribbean community.

“Let it be very clear, Haiti is important to CARICOM. Haiti is our single largest member state. Haiti is the first free Black republic in the world, the first independent state in the Caribbean, and the second independent state in the Western Hemisphere,” she said.

Dr. Barnett was speaking today (June 11) at the Haiti Stakeholders Meeting held at the offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Kingston.

Over the next three days, from June 11 to 13, Jamaica will host a high-level meeting of specially invited leaders and stakeholders as the region seeks to find solutions to the ongoing crisis in Haiti.

“CARICOM is approaching this initiative with full acknowledgement of the spirit of freedom and independence that the Haitian people hold so dear,” said Dr. Barnett.

“Our expectation is that this meeting will enable the dialogue necessary to develop a roadmap towards a Haitian-led solution to the protracted political impasse,” she added.

The CARICOM Secretary-General acknowledged that while all Haitians cannot be present, the representative group at the three-day meeting “brings the hopes and aspirations of every Haitian citizen” participating.

“We share a common goal that the political, socio-economic and humanitarian situation will be resolved and our sister-island Haiti can be supported towards sustained stability growth and prosperity,” she said.

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