Queen of Norway Announces a $134 Million Dollar Donation for the Reconstruction of Haiti

The Queen of Norway announced the release of a US $134 million-dollar donation as part of the planned reconstruction of Haiti, devastated after the January 12th earthquake.

The money donated by the Queen of Norway to Haiti comes from the International Donors Conference for a New Haiti which met in New York City on March 31st.

The Queen’s announcement was made by Erik Solheim, Norway’s Minister of Development, Foreign Cooperation and Environment, who arrived for a short visit to the Dominican Republic for the purpose of thanking the Dominican people and President Leonel Fernández for the ongoing help being given to the Haitian people after the catastrophe, according to a press release from the Dominican Churches Social Services Agency (SSID in Spanish).

Upon being greeted at the National Palace by Dominican Vice President Rafael Alburquerque, Mr. Solheim announced that the $134 million dollars earmarked for Haiti will be given to the government in annual payments and distributed to projects that contribute to the reconstruction of this Caribbean nation.

Solheim added that the Norwegian government is interested in contributing to development plans for the Dominican Republic as well. To that end, he met with, in addition to Vice President Alburquerque, Environment Minister Jaime David Fernández Mirabal and Deputy Foreign Minister José Manuel Trullols.

He also held meetings with various social and religious organizations whose work involves improving Haitian-Dominican relations such as the SSID, directed by Lorenzo Mota King and the Dominican-Haiti Dialogue group of the Evangelical Churches, coordinated by José Alberto Díaz.

The money donated by the Queen of Norway to Haiti comes from the International Donors Conference for a New Haiti which met in New York City on March 31st.

Solheim was also greeted by SSID Executive Director Mota King, who explained that this Christian organization has been carrying out social welfare projects for the past 40 years on a national and international level.

Those accompanying Mr. Solheim included Ms. Ingunn Klepsvic, Norwegian Ambassador to the DR; Borge Brende, President of the Norwegian Red Cross; Halvor Seatre, Norwegian Ambassador in Haiti; Anne Kristin, Director of the Aid Programs of the Norwegian Church (AIN); Stig Straaviv, Political Advisor the to Minister; Elizabeth Slattum, Advisory Council to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Petter Skauen, Advisory Council to the Norwegian Ministry and Stephan Thodesen, First Secretary of the Norwegian Embassy in Caracas.

Erik Solheim, Norway’s Minister of Development, Foreign Cooperation and Environment, speaks with Dominican Environment Minister Jaime David Fernández Mirabal. In the center is a translator.

Erik Solheim, Norway’s Minister of Development, Foreign Cooperation and Environment, speaks with Dominican Vice President Rafael Alburquerque, at the National Palace.

Dominican Vice President, Rafael Alburquerque, moments before introducing Mr. Erik Solheim to the press.