Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Preval vows to fight against violence at aid conference
07-26-2006

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP): Haitian President Rene Preval promised Tuesday to tackle the insecurity and violence prevailing in his country at an aid conference of international donors and lenders.

The government was determined to address the problem to open the way for badly-needed international assistance and investment, the president said.

"This conference marks the start of a permanent discussion with the international community on a global, long-term vision for Haiti," Preval said. "The government is going to fight against insecurity and violence in Haiti to allow cash to flow to state coffers."

The government hopes the conference, which wraps up Tuesday evening, will raise some five billion dollars in aid for the poorest country in the Americas.

Representatives from Canada, France and the United States, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the International Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank attended the conference.

The donors' conference is the sixth organized since the fall in February, 2004 of former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, but the first one in Haiti.