22727: Fenton: Haitian premier invites France's Chirac to bicentennial year ceremony (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Anthony Fenton <apfenton@ualberta.ca>

15 July 2004
12:09 pm
BBC Monitoring Americas
English
(c) 2004 The British Broadcasting Corporation [date of publication]. All
Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced except with the express
permission of The British Broadcasting Corporation.

Text of report by Haitian Metropole radio on 15 July

[Announcer] During his Bastille Day speech, Prime Minister [Gerard]
Latortue invited French President Jacques Chirac to come and take part in
ceremonies to mark the close of the bicentennial year in Haiti. Prime
Minister Latortue spoke as follows:

[Latortue - recording] Mr Ambassador [Thierry Burcard], I would like to let
you and everybody else here know that we intend to organize certain
activities to close the bicentennial year probably in the first week of
December.

Both the president of the Republic and I have agreed on that. I would also
like to say how honoured we would feel to welcome President Chirac on
this occasion. [words indistinct] I know that he is a man who has a sense
of history and I know that he will not miss the opportunity to stand in
Independence Square in Gonaives in 2004, 200 years later, to celebrate
liberty, equality and fraternity among men and women regardless of their
culture or race.

Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 15 Jul 04

Haitian premier highlights strong ties with France in 14 July speech
337 words
15 July 2004
12:10 pm
BBC Monitoring Americas
English
(c) 2004 The British Broadcasting Corporation [date of publication]. All
Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced except with the express
permission of The British Broadcasting Corporation.

Text of report by Haitian Metropole radio on 15 July

[Announcer] Prime Minister Gerard Latortue expressed words of thanks to
the French government for its participation in the interim Multinational
Force and the UN peacekeeping force in Haiti [MINUSTAH].

On the occasion of the celebration of 14 July, the head of government
emphasized the fact that his governmental team wants to develop new
relations with France following the departure of the Lavalas regime. He
also hailed the French State. Prime Minister Latortue spoke as follows:

[Latortue - recording] Today, relations between Haiti and France are
characterized by our common will to develop our cooperation and
exchanges. The warm welcome that we received in Paris on the part of
President Chirac, the visit to Haiti of French Foreign Minister Michel
Barnier, the visit of National Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, the
unshakable support that France gives us vis-a-vis the European Union
and in all international organizations, notably in the OAS [Organization of
American States], all this has made us feel that relations between the two
countries have entered a new phase that promises to be even more
fruitful and profitable for all of us. .

We know that France will be present in the conference of the international
sponsors in Washington next week. But beyond what it is doing within the
framework of the international community, we hope to have with your
country relations that take into consideration the particular ties that keep
us united, notably the cultural ties through the organization of
Francophone countries.

Our country will certainly take part in the next meeting of the
French-speaking countries in Ouagadougou in November. And I would
like to seize this occasion to express on behalf of the Haitian government
our wish to propose Haiti's candidacy to the next summit of the
International Organization of Francophone Countries in 2008 after the
Romania summit.

Source: Radio Metropole, Port-au-Prince, in French 1145 gmt 15 Jul 04