President Michel Martelly, left the country Tuesday, January 22, to Florida where he will, first undergo, a complete medical check, before going to Chile tomorrow, Thursday, to attend the second Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean (CELAC), 27 and 28 January 2013.

Multilateral political forum, the CELAC has the overall objective to enable member countries to work together to harmonize on the long-term their public policy, the sine qua non condition of all policy of integration It intends to strengthen the historical ties between peoples and arrive at a articulation at the level of sectors such as education, health, environment, economy, culture, immigration, justice, etc...

"We will continue to defend the interests of Haiti," assured the President Martelly which will have several working meetings with international figures to discuss common interests.

On issues of free trade and migration, the President will meet with the Heads of State and Government of CARICOM, whose Haiti holds the presidency, and with representatives of the European Union (EU). Emphasis will be placedparticularly on the Economic Partnership Agreement between CARICOM and the EU, signed by Haiti in 2009. This free trade agreement, that must be ratified by Parliament, should be operational in 2014.

This travel will allow the Head of State to make the promotion of Haiti and to plead for his National Reforestation Program [2013 being declared "Year of the Environment"], and secondly on its National Plan relating to agriculture, which will allow Haiti to be 70% self-sufficient.

HL/ HaitiLibre