During the North American Foreign Ministers Meeting on Monday in Canada, Clinton joined Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa to discuss a variety of issues, Haiti among them.
Clinton emphasized the long list of challenges facing the international effort to help Haiti, but warned that statements by a prominent U.S. Senator calling for aid to be cut to Haiti is a sign of growing frustrations.
Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the senate committee responsible for funding foreign aid, has said Haitian leaders are subverting the democratic process there and U.S. aid to Haiti should be frozen to force a fair outcome to the election.
Clinton emphasized the need for the international community to step forward and provide technical expertise to help sort out the jumbled elections where ballot stuffing and other irregularities where common.
Clinton added that the ministers had a “very productive discussion” over a wide range of issues and re-affirmed the value of the cooperation the countries have on climate change, drug trafficking, and terrorism.
The leaders also lauded the recent Cancun climate conference, saying the work done there is critical to taking the next steps in global efforts to arrest climate change.
Espinosa said the achievements of Cancun will make it possible to help developing countries, particularly small island countries most threatened by rising sea levels.
