Haitians drive past a sign welcoming Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen for an official visit to Haiti, in a street of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 13, 2019. REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares
July 13, 2019
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) – Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen will visit Haiti on Saturday in an attempt to bolster support in the region after neighboring Dominican Republic broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan last year.
The visit to the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince is the first stop on a 12-day trip to the Caribbean, with St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis to follow.
Tsai will meet with Haitian President Jovenel Moise and other top officials, according to an official agenda provided by the Haitian government.
“This tour, which highlights the constructive nature of the relations between Haiti and Taiwan, will provide an opportunity to take stock of the commitments made in Taipei and at the same time define the best strategies for consolidating the Haitian-Taiwanese cooperation,” the Haitian government said in a statement describing Tsai’s visit on Saturday.
In Port-au-Prince, small signs as well as Haitian and Taiwanese flags were erected on Saturday morning to welcome Tsai.
(Reporting by André Paultre; writing by Julia Love)
