Haitians, Dominicans need joint solutions to common problems: Businessman

Santo Domingo.- Haitian businessman PhilippeBayard on Wednesday said his country and the Dominican Republic should seek ajoint solutions to the problems common to both nations.

Although he discarded notions of Dominicanracism against Haitian citizens, he stressed that the only way to put an end toissues such as the immigration status is addressing them jointly.

Bayard, president of the regionalcarrier Sunrise Airways, said one of the problems nagging his compatriots hasbeen inherited from the generations since the Haitian Revolution whichculminated in its independence, but “brought about an identity crisis.”

"In Haiti we’re still discussingwhat we are. We have many problems between us," he said.

Bayard said Haiti’s economy wouldimprove if it completely open its doors to trade with the Dominican Republic,which would also help ties between the Hispaniola neighbors.

"We must work to sell thisisland in a joint manner…We need to open the markets between the two nations tomake it one," he said, interviewed by El Nuevo Diario editor-in-chief PersioMaldonado.

He noted however, that the creationof a single market doesn’t imply opening the Dominican border to Haitians,adding that he’s aware that much work is still needed in Haiti to find asolution to this issue.