国际英语新闻：Representatives of 13 countries attend pre-Summit on Haiti

SANTO DOMINGO, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The representatives of 13 countries and six international organizations attended on Monday to the pre-Summit "United for a Better Future for Haiti," hosted at the government palace of Dominican Republic.

The pre-Summit was attended by Dominican Republic's President Leonel Fernandez and the representatives of Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Dominica, Spain, Jamaica, United States, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago.

The participants agreed to hold the Summit on Jan. 25 in Montreal, Canada in order to evaluate the work plans drafted by the United Nations (UN) and Organization of American States (OAS) in Haiti.

The representatives of the countries and international organizations discussed the coordination of the humanitarian aid being sent to Haiti.

Fernandez, host of the pre-Summit, said that a central force is needed to coordinate the aid efforts and logistic problems.

He also proposed the Dominican Republic's soldiers join the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah).

Fernandez also proposed the rehabilitation of the maritime and aerial ports of Haiti handle the humanitarian aid.

Spain's First Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said the Haitian government and people "must be the main actors of their country's reconstruction, they are the ones who must decide their collective destiny."

She added that the international community has the responsibility of "offering all its support for what today is uncertain becomes trust."

The attendants also proposed the condonation of Haiti's external debt.

Also present are the representatives of the World Bank, the Inter American Development Bank, the Community of the Caribbean, the International Red Cross, the UN, the OAS and the European Union.

Haitian President Rene Preval also attended the summit.