India-Haiti Bilateral Relations

India’s relations with Haiti have been friendly, though interaction between the two countries has been limited due to unstable political situation in Haiti. India established diplomatic relations with Haiti on 27 September 1996. Subsequently, it appointed Mr. Eddy Handal as Honorary Consul of India in Haiti. To begin with, Indian High Commission, Kingston, Jamaica was concurrently accredited to Haiti but since late 2003, the accreditation has been transferred to Embassy of India, Havana, Cuba. A draft MOU for Foreign Office Consultations was submitted to the Haitian side in February 2001. Haiti has an honorary Consul in Mumbai. India had shown concern for the needs of Haiti even before the establishment of diplomatic relations. It had sent a 140 member CRPF troops to Haiti on a peace mission under the auspices of United Nations in August 1995. The role of the Indian contingent in providing police protection and maintaining law and order was highly appreciated.

In October 2008, a 140-member Formed Police Unit (FPU) from India joined the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to help with international efforts to ensure a safe environment in Haiti. The Indian peacekeepers are based in Port-au-Prince and are involved in managing public disturbances, establishing checkpoints, tracking criminals and anti-crime operations. The first contingent left on 16 October 2009 and the second contingent arrived on 17 October 2009. Recently the Government of India has decided to send a group of Assam Rifles soldiers as part of a police unit to Haiti under the aegis of the United Nations mission, keeping in view the good work done by the paramilitary force in the past.

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake of 12 January 2010 killed about 200,000 people and destroyed a huge number of buildings including the Presidential Palace and UN Headquarters. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh conveyed his condolences to Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive of Haiti and the people of the Haiti on the loss of lives and devastation in the Jan 12th earthquake and made an immediate donation of 5 million dollars for relief measures. On 24th January 2010, Dr. Tharoor visited quake devastated Haiti and met with the President Mr. Rene Preval and Foreign Minister Ms. Marie Mitchele Rey and conveyed India’s solidarity to Haiti. He laid a wreath at Hotel Christopher (MINUSTAH headquarters in Haiti destroyed in the earthquake) with a ribbon ‘India mourns with Haiti’. He met with the Indian Formed Police Unit and the Indian community and addressed their grievances.

Under IBSA Trilateral Initiative a Solid Waste Management Project was inaugurated in Haiti in December 2007 .This project endeavors to generate employment to the masses and is in line with IBSA guidelines in general and with India’s objectives for South-South Co-operation in particular.