Speaking at the just concluded 27th Rio Group Foreign Ministers meeting in Georgetown, Guyana, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rudy Insanally said the possibility of an extension will be explored to maintain the successes achieved.

"The Rio Group and CARICOM (Caribbean Community) should continue to cooperate, to consolidate and continue the progress made so far. In response to the request made by recently elected President Rene Preval, we should seek not only to increase the size of MINUSTAH but also to extend its mandate to include a strong development component to consolidate the gains made in the area of political stabilization," Insanally said.

MINUSTAH is largely manned by Latin American countries including Brazil, Argentina and Chile. As a direct result, Haiti was able to hold free and fair national elections. The mission was set-up to help restore peace and security in poverty stricken Haiti after the ouster of its former President, Jean Bertrand Aristede.

With the holding of elections in that country, the international community has welcomed Haiti's return to democracy.

"We must be vigilant to ensure that the financial assistance promised by the international community to support Haiti's reconstruction is readily forthcoming. Delay and disappointment will only cause a reversal of the democratic process and threaten once more the stability of Haiti as well as the Caribbean," Insanally said.

Insanally hailed the cooperation between Caricom and the Rio Group which was displayed during the Haiti crisis.

"The effectiveness of CARICOM/Rio Group coordination is our combined effort to restore democracy to Haiti - a country which has for far too long been subjected to autocratic and repressive governments and condemned to live in inhuman and degrading poverty," he said.