US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected in Ottawa on Thursday, October 27, where he will discuss support for Ukraine and international aid for Haiti, a Caribbean country plunged into a spiral of health and security crises.
Antony Blinken will meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his counterpart Mélanie Joly, and will visit a reception center for Ukrainian refugees in the Canadian federal capital, according to a statement from the State Department.
This will be the US Foreign Minister's first visit to Canada since taking office in January 2021.
Haiti, a paralyzed country
It comes at a time when the two countries are trying to come to the aid of Haiti, a country paralyzed by the presence of gangs who sow terror and a health situation which is deteriorating with a strong resurgence of cholera.
The Haitian government has called on the international community to provide assistance, including through a peacekeeping force, a call echoed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
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But this idea of an armed force is not unanimous either within the Haitian population or within the Security Council, and no country has yet offered to lead it.
The United States has indicated that it is ready to support such a force but not to lead it, as has France.
The Under-Secretary of State for American Affairs, Brian Nichols, however, said on Wednesday that he was "
optimistic
" and "
confident
" about the possibility of setting up this force within the framework of the UN and mentioned the date of "
early November
” as a possible timeline.
"
I think things are progressing normally
," he told reporters, speaking of "
a police force with military elements
."
Meanwhile, the United States and Canada delivered law enforcement equipment for the severely under-equipped and overstretched Haitian National Police in mid-October.
"Breaking the Bond"
Speaking on the eve of his trip, Antony Blinken said it would be "
difficult, if not impossible
" to help the country without restoring security.
"
We need to break the link between the gangs and certain political elites who finance them, direct them and use them to advance their interests instead of the interests of the country
," he said.
“
If we can break this link while strengthening the national police, then I think the government can take back control of security
,” he added.
Read alsoOne year after the assassination of its president, Haiti remains mired in chaos
For her part, Canadian Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters on Wednesday that it was necessary above all to "
take into consideration what the Haitians themselves think
".
The head of the American diplomacy will end his visit to Montreal on Friday, where he will address the sensitive subject of supply chains, by visiting a lithium recycling center, this white metal nicknamed the "
oil of the 21st century
".