Haiti to seek membership in Ibero-American summit

Haiti will seek full membership in the ongoing Ibero-American summit, Haitian Foreign Minister Laurent Lamothe said here Friday. \"During this summit, I want Haiti to be officially considered as a permanent member. This will represent a great achievement for our country,\" Lamothe said at a press conference. Haiti currently holds an observer status to the Ibero-American summit. Lamothe said Haiti\'s incorporation to the forum will help his country strengthen its relations with the Ibero-American countries. \"We have always felt near the Ibero-American countries, sharing their suffering and celebrating their victories, just as they have shared with us,\" Lamothe said. Lamothe was attending the two-day Ibero-American summit taking place here on Friday and Saturday under the theme \"Transformation of the State and Development.\"