Real Property

Upon arrival at the airport in the capital Port au Prince, Sarkozy was greeted by his Haitian counterpart Rene Preval, who had described the visit as historic, the first by a French president in the former French colony.

Upon arrival, Sarkozy flew in a helicopter, along with Preval, areas of the capital devastated by the January 12 quake that killed at least 217,000 dead and more than a million homeless.

Back to the mainland, Sarkozy told his counterpart that France would provide 326 million euros to the Caribbean country, a sum that includes the Haitian debt cancellation of 56 million euros (76 million) in Paris .

“We will take very concrete measures,” said the French president during a news conference with Preval in the gardens of the presidential palace, partially destroyed by the earthquake.

Among other things, Paris made available to the 1000 tents and 16,000 Haitians canvas covers that should allow a temporary shelter to 200,000 people in anticipation of the rainy season.

addition, 250 vehicles for police and gendarmerie, as well as ambulances and fire trucks will be sent to Port au Prince.

In the French Embassy in Port au Prince, partially damaged tremor, the president addressed the French rescue teams to help the affected population.

“I played first the Haitians and to them alone to define a truly national project and then drive it, because it is their country and their future, “Sarkozy said.

” I came to tell the Haitian people and their leaders that France, which was the first on the ground after the catastrophe remain firmly at your side to help him stand and happy to open a new page in its history, “he said.

” France will live up to their responsibilities, their shared history and his friendship with Haiti, “he added, citing” a rich but also painful shared history, “referring to the Caribbean country”s colonization by France until 1804.

” Do not hide head in the sand. Our presence here is not only good memories left. The wounds of colonization and, perhaps worse, the conditions of separation left traces that remain alive in the memory of the Haitians, “the head of state launched .

The French president was accompanied by his Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, his Secretary of State for Cooperation Alain Joyandet and Overseas Minister Marie-Luce Penchard.

Visiting hours ended this Wednesday.