The World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy Wednesday promised to help Haiti better integrate into the regional and international markets, according to reports reaching here.
"Haiti is the country which is least involved in international trade (in the region)," Lamy, who is visiting Haiti, said at a press conference in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital.
The rate of international trade in Haiti is 60 percent, while for most countries in the region, it is 100 percent, he added.
Lamy said he regretted that Haiti's development has not benefited enough from the international trade system. However, this means new opportunities for Haiti.
Lamy arrived in Port-au-Prince last Tuesday to participate in the official launching of the Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) Regional Aid for Trade Strategy, an initiative seeking to strengthen Haiti's participation in the multilateral trade system.
CARICOM was created in July 1973 by the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which was signed by Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The regional bloc is intended to strengthen ties and build a common market in the Caribbean region. It includes 15 economies and has a market of almost 18 million consumers.
The Haitian government is carrying out a diplomatic exertion in the region and in other continents to promote tourism and attract investment.
The country has been undergoing a reconstruction process after the 2010 devastating earthquake, which killed over 222,000 people and caused property damage of 7.9 billion U.S. dollars. Endi
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