OMEN
07-01-2006, 12:21 AM
http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/WORLD/americas/06/30/haiti.france.ap/story.chirac.ap.jpg
French President Jacques Chirac, right, welcomes Haitian President Rene Preval to the Elysée Palace on Friday.
PARIS, France -- President Jacques Chirac pledged French support Friday to Haiti under new President Rene Preval, who is visiting Europe in a bid to secure greater aid for his troubled nation.
"France's heart beats for Haiti," Chirac told Preval at their meeting, according to Chirac spokesman Jerome Bonnafont.
Preval comes to improve long-chilled relations with Haiti's former colonial master.
Chirac made no firm promise of increased aid but vowed to help obtain rapid disbursement of funds from the European Union and international financial institutions, Bonnafont said.
Chirac said he was "aware of the serious tasks incumbent upon President Preval" and promised him "all the support of France in this moment of exceptional hope for Haiti," Bonnafont said.
Foreign aid -- along with remittances from Haitians living abroad -- account for the lion's share of the national economy. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said during Preval's investiture in May that France intended to increase its aid.
The EU announced $293 million in new aid to Haiti during a visit by Preval to Brussels, Belgium, this week. However, the aid, which could increase, is tied to reforms.
Preval said he hoped Chirac would take part in the development and reinforcement of Haiti's institutions and in its economic development.
Chirac also said France would support an extension of the U.N. mission in Haiti, and promised support in reinstalling security and democratic reforms, Bonnafont said.
In addition, Preval discussed France's role in changes to Haiti's police force, which he planned to address with Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie later Friday. He met Thursday with Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.
Preval, a Belgian-educated agronomist, won the presidency in February elections. He was president from 1996 to 2001 and was the first president in Haiti's coup-marred history to leave office voluntarily at the end of his term.
His visit comes as France has been grappling with the darker episodes of its colonial past. A law passed last year tried to put a positive spin on colonialism, prompting uproar in its former colonies and at home. The offending passages later were stripped from the legislation.
France also has launched new initiatives to try to heal lingering wounds linked to its colonial legacy. Last month, the country held its first annual commemoration of victims of the slave trade. France abolished slavery in 1848, more than four decades after Haitian independence.
AP
French President Jacques Chirac, right, welcomes Haitian President Rene Preval to the Elysée Palace on Friday.
PARIS, France -- President Jacques Chirac pledged French support Friday to Haiti under new President Rene Preval, who is visiting Europe in a bid to secure greater aid for his troubled nation.
"France's heart beats for Haiti," Chirac told Preval at their meeting, according to Chirac spokesman Jerome Bonnafont.
Preval comes to improve long-chilled relations with Haiti's former colonial master.
Chirac made no firm promise of increased aid but vowed to help obtain rapid disbursement of funds from the European Union and international financial institutions, Bonnafont said.
Chirac said he was "aware of the serious tasks incumbent upon President Preval" and promised him "all the support of France in this moment of exceptional hope for Haiti," Bonnafont said.
Foreign aid -- along with remittances from Haitians living abroad -- account for the lion's share of the national economy. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said during Preval's investiture in May that France intended to increase its aid.
The EU announced $293 million in new aid to Haiti during a visit by Preval to Brussels, Belgium, this week. However, the aid, which could increase, is tied to reforms.
Preval said he hoped Chirac would take part in the development and reinforcement of Haiti's institutions and in its economic development.
Chirac also said France would support an extension of the U.N. mission in Haiti, and promised support in reinstalling security and democratic reforms, Bonnafont said.
In addition, Preval discussed France's role in changes to Haiti's police force, which he planned to address with Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie later Friday. He met Thursday with Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.
Preval, a Belgian-educated agronomist, won the presidency in February elections. He was president from 1996 to 2001 and was the first president in Haiti's coup-marred history to leave office voluntarily at the end of his term.
His visit comes as France has been grappling with the darker episodes of its colonial past. A law passed last year tried to put a positive spin on colonialism, prompting uproar in its former colonies and at home. The offending passages later were stripped from the legislation.
France also has launched new initiatives to try to heal lingering wounds linked to its colonial legacy. Last month, the country held its first annual commemoration of victims of the slave trade. France abolished slavery in 1848, more than four decades after Haitian independence.
AP