Canada committed to aid reconstruction in Haiti with new president

Canada promised to remain committed to aiding Haiti in its reconstruction on Saturday as the inauguration and swearing-in of Michel Martelly, the newly elected President of Haiti, was held in Port-au-Prince.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that Canada will continue to stand alongside Haiti as it rebuilds its communities and strengthens the rule-of-law.

"I am pleased to offer my sincere congratulations to Michel Martelly on his inauguration as President of Haiti," Harper said in a statement. "I look forward to working with President Martelly as he rises to meet the challenges ahead of him."

Harper praised the people of Haiti for their patience and resolve in expressing their will and demonstrating their commitment to democracy and the electoral process.

"This transition marks an important step on the road to recovery from the January 2010 earthquake and a milestone towards long-term stability and development," he added.

Meanwhile, Beverley J. Oda, Canada' s Minister of International Cooperation, attended the Haitian presidential inauguration in Port-au-Prince on behalf of Canada.

Oda has stated that Canada looks forward to working with Martelly toward a better future for the people of Haiti.

Canada shares deep and long-standing ties with Haiti, and more than 100,000 Canadians have roots in the Caribbean nation.

After the earthquake, Canada pledged 400 million Canadian dollars over two years to help rebuild Haiti. This figure brings Canada' s total multiyear commitment (from 2006 to 2012) in Haiti to 1 billion Canadian dollars.

Michel Martelly was sworn in as Haiti's new president on Saturday. The inauguration ceremony was held in front of the collapsed National Palace, a symbol of the massive earthquake that killed at least 250,000 people and devastated the impoverished Caribbean nation last year. (1 U.S. dollar = 0.9680 Canadian dollars)

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