Above: British Foreign Secretary William Hague (Photo: FCO)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti will soon be home to the first United Kingdom diplomatic representation in Haiti since 1966, according to UK Foreign Secretary William Hague.

The new British Embassy in Haiti will report to the UK’s Ambassador in the Dominican Republic.

“It will place us in a stronger position to support our objectives in Haiti and the region,” Hague said in a statement. “The UK is a major contributor both to reconstruction and development in Haiti through multilateral agencies.”

The UK is also one of the major financial contributors to MINUSTAH, the UN peacekeeping force in Haiti.

“It is in Britain’s interest as a P5 member of the UN Security Council to play a more active role in guaranteeing stability and creating the conditions for growth and prosperity,” he said.

Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said he welcomed British authorities’ decision, according to a release from his office.

Lamothe said he saw the move by the United Kingdom as an opportunity for Haiti to move closer to the UK through “fruitful cooperation for the benefit of the Haitian people.”