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. High Commission of India 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. However, 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. Ambassador visited Haiti from 18 to 19 January 2024 and presented Letter of Credence to H.E. Mr. Jean Victor Généus, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cults of the Republic of Haiti and called on H.E. Dr. Ariel Henry, Prime Minister of the Republic of Haiti. India has an Honorary Consul General in Port-Au-Prince.
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 All these units have returned after completing their mission, as the MINUSTH office has been replaced by the UN integrated office in Haiti BINUH.
Bilateral Visits from India
4. In September 2019 PM Modi met with 14 leaders of the CARICOM group of countries, which includes Haiti, on sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The meeting was attended by the Hon’ble 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.
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 further strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries. Hon’ble Minister called on Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and Haitian Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant and met Haitian Foreign Minister Antonio Rodrigue.
6. Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State visited Port-Au-Prince on 23 January, 2010, following the 12 January 2010 earthquake, announced US $ 5 million relief assistance. India also offered to re-construct a main office building which was damaged in January 2010 earthquake. The then President requested that dwelling units may be developed by India instead of reconstruction of a government building. Accordingly cash assistance of US $ 5 million was given to construct a Gandhi Housing village.
Bilateral Visits from the Republic of Haiti
7. The former Haitian Minister of Economy and Finance, Mme. Carmelle Jean Marie visited India from 14th-17th October, 2014 to attend FICCI-LAC Conclave and called on Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman, then Hon’ble 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.
Others / Virtual
8. 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’ organized by the Government of India on 17 November 2023.
Commercial relations:
9. 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:
(all figures in US $ million)
|
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
2020-21 |
2021-22 |
2022-23 |
2023-24
(till Dec’23) |
India’s Export |
94.01 |
79.35 |
107.63 |
99.49 |
88.07 |
84.77 |
India’s Import |
8.26 |
13.75 |
13.47 |
21.86 |
12.06 |
12.15 |
Total Trade |
102.27 |
93.10 |
121.1 |
121.35 |
100.13 |
96.92 |
Source: Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce
10. A delegation from ADIH (Association of Industries of Haiti) participated in the 9th CII Conclave held in New Delhi from 3-4 August 2023. They also signed a cooperation agreement between ADIH and CII.
11. ITEC: India has been offering assistance to Haiti under ITEC programme. It started with one slot in 2006-2007, which has been increased to 10 since 2015-16 and to 15 from 2019-20. However, utilization of ITEC slots is very low due the present security scenario. Haitian diplomats have also been taking advantage of Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats (PCFD) courses at regular intervals. Four Haitian illiterate women received training at the Barefoot College in Rajasthan in harvesting solar power.
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. International Solar Alliance: Haiti is a 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 International Solar Alliance (ISA) of American and the Caribbean Region held on 04 August 2022 at Georgetown, Guyana.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. Indian community in Haiti is small. 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.
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February 2024
