Haitian PM meets with Fantino, hopes new Canadian aid projects will restart

Haiti’s prime minister says he’s hopeful his country is a step closer to once again welcoming new Canadian aid projects on the ground.

Laurent Lamothe met with Canadian cabinet minister Julian Fantino today to search for better ways to produce results in Haiti through development assistance.

The get-together comes after Fantino made a controversial announcement in January that Canada had halted new aid projects in Haiti while Ottawa reviewed the program.

Canada’s international co-operation minister had said he was disappointed with the lack of progress he saw during a visit to the impoverished country.

Lamothe tells The Canadian Press that subjects like accountability and transparency were discussed at today’s meeting.

He says no formal agreements were made today — but he’s hoping for concrete decisions at next month’s donor-co-ordination conference in Haiti.

Lamothe says he reiterated his request that Haiti’s government be more involved in the rebuilding process.

He also personally invited Fantino to come back to Haiti to see some of the country’s rebuilding achievements.

Fantino had called for the gathering — which was held at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

The guest list included officials from international donor groups, including governments, assembled in Washington for conferences of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Haiti is still struggling to recover more than three years after a powerful earthquake killed more than 200,000 people.