Embassy of India
Santo Domingo
India-Haiti bilateral brief
Political relations
India’s relations with Haiti have been friendly, though interaction between the two countries has been limited. India established Diplomatic relations with Haiti on 27 September 1996. Our High Commission in Kingston, Jamaica was concurrently accredited to Haiti till 2002 and from 2003 till June 2022, the accreditation was transferred to the Embassy of India in Havana. Consequent upon opening of Embassy of India in Santo Domingo in January 2022, the accreditation of the Republic of Haiti has been transferred to Embassy of India, Santo Domingo w.e.f. 06 July 2022. There is an increased interest in new interim government to engage with India especially after donation of Blood Transfusion essentials in August 2024. Leslie Voltaire, Member and former President of the Transitional Presidential Council reached out to Embassy for supporting Haiti in defence and disaster relief.
2. An MOU for Foreign Office Consultations was signed on 31 May 2001. India had shown concern for the needs of Haiti even before the establishment of diplomatic relations. It had sent a 140 member CRPF troops to Haiti on a peace mission under the auspices of United Nations in August 1995. The role of the Indian contingent in providing police protection and maintaining law and order was highly appreciated.
3. In October 2008, a 140-member Formed Police Unit (FPU) from India joined the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) to help with international efforts to ensure a safe environment in Haiti. There were three units drawn from BSF, CISF and Assam Rifles (approx. 500 personnel) as part of MINUSTAH. The UN Security Council passed a Resolution in April 2017 to replace MINUSTAH in Haiti by a small Peacekeeping Mission, the UN Mission for Justice Support (MINUJUSTH) and gradually draw down the FPUs in Haiti. The two Indian FPUs of CISF and Assam Rifles under MINUJUSTH and the FPU 3 of BSF, based in Hinche, left in August 2017. All these units returned after completing their mission, as the MINUSTH office has been replaced by the UN integrated office in Haiti BINUH.
4. The former Haitian Minister of Economy and Finance, Mme. Carmelle Jean Marie visited India from 14-17 October, 2014 to attend FICCI-LAC Conclave and called on Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman, then Minister of State for Commerce & Industry and Secretary (ER). Former Haitian Health Minister, Dr. Marie L. Florence Duperwal visited Delhi to attend the “Third Global Call to Action Summit” from 25-29 August, 2015. She also called on Minister of Health & Family Welfare where, inter alia, she sought India’s cooperation in Haitian health sector.
5. In April 2018 Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Vijay Sampla led an Indian delegation on a three-day visit to Haiti for promoting and strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries. Hon’ble Minister met Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, Haitian Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant and Haitian Foreign Minister Antonio Rodrigue. MOS also interacted with the Assam Rifles and CISF soldiers deployed there under the aegis of United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUSTAH), and appreciated their hard work and dedication.
6. In September 2019 PM Modi met with 14 leaders of the CARICOM group of countries, including Haiti, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Haiti was represented by their Foreign Minister. The meeting was attended by the Heads of Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Vice President of Suriname, and Foreign Ministers of Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Haiti and Guyana.
7. On 13 January 2023, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Ricardin Saint-Jean, participated in the Commerce Ministers’ session of the virtual ‘Voice of Global South Summit’ organized by the Government of India as part of various events organized under India’s G20 presidency. Public Health and Population Minister Dr. Alex Larsen participated in the Health Ministers’ session of the virtual ‘Voice of Global South Summit 2.0’ on 17 November 2023. Mr. Joseph Emmanuel Philippe, General Director, Ministry of Environment of Haiti participated in the Environment Ministers’ session of the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit on 17 August 2024.
Commercial relations:
8. India’s trade with Haiti is small but Indian exports to the country has suffered a bit due to the political instability and local insurgency in Haiti. The main items of exports to Haiti are pharmaceuticals goods, textiles, plastic and linoleum products, engineering goods and chemicals. There is potential for further growth, particularly in the areas of generic drugs and pharmaceuticals. India has granted duty free access to Haitian products as a special gesture. The bilateral trade figures over the years are as follows:
Values in US $ Millions
|
2013-14 |
2014-15 |
2015-16 |
2016-17 |
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
2020-21 |
2021-22 |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
Export |
59.21 |
85.45 |
62.27 |
71.89 |
94.01 |
79.35 |
107.63 |
99.49 |
88.07 |
105.53 |
89.03 |
Import |
0.95 |
1.57 |
3.28 |
3.61 |
8.26 |
13.75 |
13.47 |
21.86 |
12.06 |
5.37 |
8.54 |
Total Trade |
60.17 |
87.02 |
65.55 |
75.50 |
102.27 |
93.10 |
121.1 |
121.35 |
100.13 |
110.90 |
97.57 |
Source: Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce
9. A delegation from ADIH (Association of Industries of Haiti) participated in the 9th CII India-LAC Conclave held in New Delhi from 3-4 August 2023. They also signed a cooperation agreement between ADIH and CII.
10. ITEC: India has been offering assistance to Haiti under ITEC programme. It started with one slot in 2006-2007, which was increased to 10 in 2015-16 and to 15 from 2019-20. However, utilization of ITEC slots is very low due the present security scenario. Four Haitian illiterate women received training at the Barefoot College in Rajasthan in harvesting solar power. In 2017, 04 personnel from Haitian National Police attending the Advanced Course on IT in Law Enforcement at the Institute of National Crime Records Bureau, New Delhi.
11. Training of diplomats : Haitian diplomats have also been taking advantage of Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD) courses at regular intervals conducted by SSIFS. Two diplomats participated in the 71st PCFD conducted by SSIFS in New Delhi from 22 April to 5 May 2024.
12. Disaster Relief: India donated medicines worth US$ 50000 as humanitarian assistance to Haiti for the damage caused by Hurricane Noel in November 2017. In October 2008, India granted Rs. 10 million in cash as disaster relief assistance to Haiti in the wake of devastation caused by the four hurricanes Fay, Hanna, Gustav and Ike. Also provided relief assistance of US$ 5 million each year for 03 years continuously till the year 2011. In October 2016 India provided emergency financial aid worth USD 2,50,000 to Haiti in the aftermath of Hurricane Mathew.
13. Recognising the need to provide basic amenities – shelter, drinking water and sanitation to the Haitian people, India joined Brazil and South Africa to sanction a Solid Waste Management Project under IBSA Trilateral Initiative. The project was inaugurated in December 2007. The project endeavored to generate employment to the masses. IBSA spent over US$ 2 million on the project and for reconstruction of a community health centre in Haiti.
14. The Indian Government funded a project of USD 1 million through the India-UN Develop Partnership Fund, managed by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and jointly implemented by the UNDP and the Ministry of the Environment (MoE) for installation of 8 Solar PV-based Water Pumping System for Land Irrigation and Drinking Water. All 8 water pumping systems have been installed and commissioned in the municipalities of Aquin (5 systems), Anse-a-Veau (1 system), Petit-Trou de Nippes (1 system) and Fond-des-Negres (1 system) as of 31 August 2023.
15. HADR Donation: The Government of India donated 9 tons of blood transfusion essentials, reagents for immunohematology, rapid tests, Elisa and others items worth Rs. 69 lacs (approximately USD 83,000) to support the National Transfusion Safety Program of the Ministry of Public Health and Population of Haiti.
16. International Solar Alliance (ISA): Haiti is a full member of ISA. Mr. James Cadet, Minister of Environment and three other officials from the Haitian side attended the 4th meeting of the Regional Committee of the ISA of American and the Caribbean Region held on 04 August 2022 at Georgetown, Guyana. Ms. Christine Lamothe, Cd’A of Haiti in Dominican Republic and other officials participated in the 6th Meeting of the ISA Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean held from 9-11 September 2024 in Santo Domingo.
17. Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) : Haiti is a member of CDRI. CDRI, on 31 October 2023, awarded two projects to Haiti under the Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS) First Call for Proposals for Small Island Developing States (SIDS): (i) Strengthening Capacities, Security and Resilience of Critical Infrastructure in Dominican Republic, Cuba and Haiti, (ii) Revision of the Haitian National Building Code.
18. Two journalists from Haiti Mr. Wendell Theodore of Radio Tele-Matropole and Ms. Marie Lucie Bonhomme, Editor, Channel 44 visited India for ‘familiarization visit’ organized by the Ministry for LAC countries from 22-29 March, 2023.
19. Indian community in Haiti is small but very brave and united. They support each other in difficulties. It comprises approximately of 100 members. Almost all of them are Indian passport holders. Several of them are professionals – doctors, engineers, technicians and many are missionaries. Some are into private business- scrap metal trade. There is an Indian Association which works in close collaboration with our Hony Consul General. The association and the Hony Consul General played important role in evacuation of Indians in March/April 2024.
20. Operation Indravati: Owing to worsening security situation in Haiti and suspension of all commercial flights to and from Haiti, Operation Indravati was launched by the Ministry on 22 March 2024 to evacuate stranded Indians from Haiti. A total of seventeen (17) Indian nationals were evacuated in two phases - first on 21 March 2024 (12 nationals) and the second on 04 April 2024 (5 nationals) by private helicopter flights to DR through a coordinated effort involving close liaison with authorities from Haiti and the Dominican Republic..
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July 2025
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