UNASUR to help Haiti reconstruction

2010-02-10 19:07 BJT

 

Leaders from the Union of South American Countries, or UNASUR, are meeting in Ecuador to discuss reconstruction efforts in quake ravaged Haiti. On Tuesday UNASUR pledged 300 million US dollars to help the Caribbean nation.

Haitian President, Rene Preval, appealed for help to rebuild his impoverished nation, saying that he was pleased with the summit.

Rene Preval said, "I'm extremely satisfied because we have reached some very concrete conclusions."

The one-day summit in the Ecuadorian capital Quito was organized by the country's President, Rafael Correa.

Suggestions raised at the meeting included sending equipment for the construction of homes and schools, as well as experts to help rebuild Haiti's infrastructure.

The 12 country grouping will ask the Inter-American Development Bank for a 200 million US dollar loan, while individual governments look to raise another one hundred million dollars for Haiti.

The meeting also called on the international community to write off Haiti's foreign debt and generate a credit bottom line.

Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian President, said, "Haiti's foreign debt is forgiven, especially the multilateral debt. We cordially ask all debtors, especially multilateral organizations to completely forgive Haiti's foreign debt."

Alan Garcia, Peruvian President, said, "I think we could generate a credit line for Haiti that is backed by UNASUR, a credit line with the least possible interest the bank could give, as a demonstration of its commitment to the hemisphere it belongs to."

Representatives of UNASUR members also stressed the importance of the Haitian government in leading its own reconstruction efforts.

Editor: Liu Fang | Source: CCTV.com