French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in earthquake-hit Haiti today to support international relief efforts there in the first visit by a French head of state to the former French Caribbean colony.
Besides visiting a French field hospital in the wrecked capital Port-au-Prince, Mr Sarkozy will be looking to turn the page with his visit on a long history of troubled French relations with Haiti, which won independence in 1804 after a bloody revolt by black slaves against their white masters.
The French president was to meet Haiti's leaders to offer France's financial support for a plan for post-quake recovery and reconstruction that is being put together by foreign donors with the Haitian government.
During his visit, Mr Sarkozy was due to fly by helicopter over the areas of Port-au-Prince worst affected by the January 12th quake, which killed more than 200,000 people and left more than one million homeless and camped out in the streets of city.
Besides providing immediate emergency aid to the hurt and homeless from the quake, international donors are looking to support Haiti's long-term recovery to try to pull the Western Hemisphere's poorest state out of a cycle of poverty and political instability.
France has already pledged €20 million in aid and will participate in a high-level international donors conference for Haiti to be held in New York next month.
Economists from the Inter-American Development Bank have estimated the cost of rebuilding Haiti after the quake could reach nearly $14 billion, making it proportionately the most destructive natural disaster in modern times.
Haitian President Rene Preval, who hosted Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper on Monday, has said his government is discussing the creation of a common fund for Haiti's recovery to be managed in partnership with donors.
Dominican Republic president Leonel Fernandez has estimated this fund could total $10 billion over five years. Other leaders say a decade will be needed for rebuilding.
Reuters