The European Union has released $112 million in aid for Haiti seven years after it froze its aid to the country because of the crooked dealings in the 2000 elections. The European Commission says this money is aimed at supporting the efforts towards democratization that the interim government has made.
The European Union stopped providing aid to Haiti in January 2001 because it realized that former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide did not respect democratic principles. The European Commission plans to hold an international conference of Haiti’s sponsors in Brussels on October 21 and 22.
The Haitian head of government, Gerard Latortue, left the country on Saturday, October 15. The prime minister will meet EU representatives. The head of government will discuss cooperation with them. He will also discuss the problems related to cooperation between Haiti and the European Commission with the sponsors. Prior to that, the prime minister met French Prime Minister Dominique De Villepin in Paris in order to discuss the resumption of French aid.