Haitian government members arrive in Paris for talks

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, February 27, 2004

Haitian government members arrive in Paris for talks

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Representatives of the Haiti government arrived in Paris Thursday and will meet French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin on Friday to help end the three-week conflicts with rebels in their country, the Haitian embassy announced.

Among the arrivals are Haitian Foreign Minister Joseph Philippe Antonio, accompanied by Jean-Claude Desgranges, cabinet director of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. They will meet with de Villepin at 1100 (1000 GMT) on Friday, said the embassy.

De Villepin on Wednesday blamed Aristide for the crisis ravaging the Caribbean country. The message was interpreted as a call for the Haitian president to step down.

"It is up to him to draw the conclusions within the rule of law. It is his decision, his responsibility. Everybody can see that this is the time to open a new chapter in the history of Haiti ...," said de Villepin in a statement.

The French foreign minister also envisioned to meet in Paris separately with representatives of the Haiti opposition.

But his ministry confirmed Wednesday that representatives of the armed rebels, who have seized around a half of the country in the last weeks, had rejected the French invitation for talks.

More than 70 people have died in the poor Caribbean country in clashes that began on Feb. 5 when the rebels, a collection of gangs and former soldiers, began the revolt by overrunning the western city of Gonaives.

Vowing to take the entire country within weeks, the rebels are now advancing towards the chaotic capital Port-au-Prince.

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