Jamaica PM Andrew Holness meets delegation from Haiti, discusses crucial topics

Kingston, Jamaica: Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, meets the officials from neighbouring Caribbean country – Haiti. The PM met the delegation during its three-day business trip to the country.

On Sunday, PM Andrew Holness attended an opening session of the Haiti stakeholders meeting. The discussions, slated to take place over the next three days, are a direct result of the CARICOM special mission to Haiti on February 27 of this year.

During the mission, the PM of Jamaica was honoured to lead, having been entrusted by CARICOM with this crucial responsibility. “We recognize that dialogue at the highest possible level is essential, necessary, and critical to achieving a consensus towards a way forward for Haiti,” Prime Minister Holness stated through social media.

“Most importantly, however, the solutions to the issues that are affecting our brothers and sisters in Haiti must come from them and we are merely facilitating the process,” he added.

He further shared a glimpse of the meeting and outlined that the sessions in Haiti revealed a clear consensus that security is an immediate and critical concern. Jamaica’s commitment to Haiti’s progress is reaffirmed and the Jamaican government pledge its support in any way possible.

PM Andrew Holness stated that the consultations to be had here represent the latest in a long tradition of regional solidarity and action in support of Haiti as an integral member of the Community. Jamaica recognizes the importance of making every effort to find solutions.

“We are convinced that with the right spirit and opportunities to facilitate inclusive participation in a neutral environment, there can be movement in building on the groundwork already laid to advance consensus. These consultations are also in support of a larger framework of complementary processes taking place at the national level in Haiti and among Haiti’s international partners bilaterally and with international partners,” he added.

Furthermore, while sharing additional updates regarding the meeting, PM Holness mentioned, “The critical and deteriorating political security and humanitarian difficulties confronting Haiti are well known, particularly by those in attendance for whom it is your everyday experience.”

He also assured that in this critical moment, Jamaica strongly supports the inclusive and open dialogue process, driven by the sincere intention to find lasting solutions to Haiti’s ongoing challenges. He added that he is pleased to see the participation of representatives from various sectors of Haitian society in these discussions. Their presence symbolizes the collective will and determination of the Haitian people to bring about positive change in their beloved country.

As per the update, during the recent visit to Haiti, a wide range of stakeholders about the country’s critical challenges were discussed. Security was a top concern, and many expressed the need for a more inclusive dialogue.

“We also learned that Haitian stakeholders would wish to have the opportunity to widen the political consensus towards the holding of national elections under the appropriate conditions,” Prime Minister Holness added.

He concluded, “We listened to their concerns and are committed to working with them to address these challenges. We believe that the best way to move forward is through a Haitian-led process that facilitates Haitian perspectives and solutions. In this regard, CARICOM has established an Eminent Person Group to take the process forward and facilitate our good offices.”