Haiti declines invitation to participate in Luis Abinader’s inauguration: DR’s airspace closure resurfaces
Haitian authorities, including the President of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) and the Prime Minister, recently decided not to attend the inauguration ceremony of the President Luis Abinader in the Dominican Republic. This decision comes in a context of persistent tensions between the two nations, marked by the unilateral closure of airspace between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Since last February, the Dominican Republic has closed its airspace with Haiti, citing security reasons. This closure has had a significant impact on trade and travel between the two neighboring countries.
Faced with this situation, the Haitian authorities, through the voice of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dominique Dupuy, expressed their discontent and demanded the immediate reopening of the airspace for all flights, commercial and official. According to Ms. Dupuy, the closure of the airspace was decided unilaterally by the Dominican Republic, and therefore, its reopening should not be conditioned by bilateral negotiations.
Dominican authorities, for their part, have proposed opening a specific air corridor for official flights, allowing Haitian dignitaries to travel to the Dominican Republic for the inauguration of President Abinader. However, they continue to justify the closure of commercial flights by security concerns, due to the unstable situation in Haiti.
This Dominican position, however, has not convinced Haitian diplomacy, which remains inflexible on the need for a complete reopening of the airspace for all. Minister Dupuy recalled that the closure of this space not only harms economic exchanges between the two countries, but also limits the mobility of Haitian citizens.
The absence of Haitian officials at Abinader’s inauguration ceremony could be seen as a sign of discontent with the current situation, but also as a call for a quick and fair resolution to this impasse. Haiti hopes that the Dominican Republic will take the necessary steps to restore more fluid and normal relations between the two countries, by reopening without delay the airspace that connects them.
It remains to be seen how discussions will evolve between the two governments in the coming weeks, but the firmness displayed by the Haitian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicates that this issue will remain a priority for Port-au-Prince until it is resolved.
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2024-08-14 02:58:30