New Ambassador to Haiti Hu Cheng-hao (胡正浩) assumed his post in the embattled Caribbean ally earlier this month, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday.
Hu, who previously held the same post from May 2017 to August 2019, arrived in Haiti on Sept. 12, Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Deputy Director-General Francisco Chang (張自信) said during a ministry briefing.
Upon arriving, Hu presented a copy of his letter of credentials to then-acting Haitian minister of foreign affairs Carlos Hercule on Sept. 13 and then presented the original letter to Haitian Transitional Presidential Council Coordinator Edgard Leblanc Fils on Thursday last week, Chang said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Only after completing these procedures is a new ambassador recognized as the representative of his or her country, according to diplomatic protocol.
While meeting Fils, Hu relayed President William Lai’s (賴清德) greetings to the head of the Transitional Presidential Council in Haiti, Chang said.
Hu also reiterated Taiwan’s affirmation of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Fils thanked the envoy for the “fruitful results of bilateral cooperation programs between both countries” and said they have helped the Transitional Presidential Council continue to push for Haiti’s democratization, Chang said.
Hu’s predecessor, Ku Wen-jiann (古文劍), who had served as ambassador to Haiti since August 2020, has returned to Taiwan after being posted overseas for seven years, Chang said.
Haiti has been rocked by gang violence and social unrest since former Haitian president Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his private home in July 2021.
However, conditions worsened dramatically at the end of February, when armed groups launched coordinated attacks in the capital, Port-au-Prince, saying they wanted to overthrow then-prime minister Ariel Henry.
Chang yesterday said that the political and social turmoil in Haiti had stabilized since the arrival of Kenyan police forces in June.
Since 2022, Taiwan has donated 808 bulletproof vests to the Haitian national police to help them combat rampant gang violence, he said.
Taiwan established diplomatic relations with Haiti in 1956.
Haiti is one of 12 countries that still have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
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