Above: Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe returned from his Caribbean tour this week, following visits to Aruba and Turks and Caicos.

The PM said the tour “helped strengthen the bonds of friendship and solidarity” with the two countries. He said he hoped they would help establish new partnerships in areas like tourism and infrastructure.

Lamothe also said he initiated a dialogue with the Haitian communities in Aruba and the Turks and Caicos, aiming to “learn about the challenges they face in order to provide immediate and long-lasting solutions.”

Turks and Caicos in particular is a frequent destination for Haitian immigrants, an issue that has led to some controversy in recent months.

Lamothe said he would “continue to explore avenues for cooperation with the countries of the region” to strengthen trade relations in the Caribbean basin.

The trip is the latest effort by Haiti to step up its regional profile, following its hosting of the CARICOM Heads of Government summit in Port-au-Prince in February.