Canadian summit on Haiti sets 10-year goal

MONTREAL, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The Canadian government has proposed 10 years of aid for earthquake-ravaged Haiti at a Montreal summit of governments and financial officials.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that 10 years of hard work awaits the world in Haiti," Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Monday to the group known as the Friends of Haiti. "The international community must be prepared for a sustained, significant effort in Haiti."

Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said one of the problems his government faces after the massive Jan. 12 earthquake that flattened Port-au-Prince was a loss of skilled government workers, the Canwest News Service reported.

"We've lost a lot of managers," he said.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proposed a follow-up meeting of the group in New York in March after more damage and needs assessment had been completed.

The group of countries includes Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Peru, the United States and Uruguay. The European Union, Japan and Spain are also significant contributors of aid, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said.

Representatives of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank also attended the meeting.