On August 19, 2026, senior diplomatic and defense officials from France and Haiti held high-level talks focused on expanding bilateral military cooperation, advancing an ongoing training initiative for Haiti’s national armed forces and outlining a five-year capacity-building target. The meeting brought together Grégoire Varenne, France’s Chargé d’Affaires in Port-au-Prince, and Mario Andrésol, Haiti’s Minister of Defense, for nearly an hour of discussion centered on aligning both nations’ shared security and institutional development goals.
The talks opened with a comprehensive progress review of the existing Haitian soldier training program, which is carried out under a formal bilateral memorandum of understanding. Varenne emphasized the substantial gains the partnership has already delivered: between 2024 and 2026, seven full contingents of Haitian military personnel have completed training courses in Martinique, laying an early foundation for professionalizing Haiti’s armed forces (known locally as FAd’H).
Beyond ongoing basic training, the conversation turned to pressing gaps in the FAd’H’s operational capacity, specifically the need for purpose-built equipment and materials tailored to Haiti’s unique on-the-ground security challenges. By the end of the discussion, officials from both sides had identified multiple categories of equipment that match the force’s stated requirements, opening a path for future support deliveries.
A centerpiece announcement from the meeting came from Defense Minister Andrésol, who laid out the Haitian government’s ambitious long-term goal: to train 15,000 new and existing FAd’H soldiers over the next five years. This target aligns with the country’s broader national vision to grow and strengthen the institutional capacity of its armed forces, at a time when Haiti faces persistent domestic security instability.
Senior officer development and advanced education also occupied a key spot on the meeting’s agenda. The two sides explored new opportunities to offer academic scholarships to high-ranking Haitian military officers, enabling them to access specialized, top-tier training in France. Specifically, officers poised to take on increased senior leadership responsibilities — including those promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel — would be eligible for advanced courses covering military education, national strategy, and defense industry management.
Andrésol further outlined Haiti’s specific request to send selected FAd’H senior leaders to enroll in the Master 2 program “Industrial Strategies and Public Defense Policies” (SIPPD), hosted by University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. The program is run in partnership with the French Ministry of the Armed Forces through the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), making it a well-aligned fit for Haiti’s goal of building senior defense leadership capacity.
The meeting marks another step forward in the deepening security partnership between France and Haiti, as the Caribbean nation works to rebuild and professionalize its military after decades of institutional restructuring.