The Minister of Defense, Mario Andrésol, received on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, the Chargé d’Affaires of France in Haiti, Grégoire Varenne, for a discussion focused on strengthening bilateral military cooperation. The talks revolved around the training of Haitian soldiers, which has already begun in Martinique between 2024 and 2026, as well as the needs for equipment suited to the operational realities of the country, according to a statement from the ministry. The minister reaffirmed the goal of training 15,000 soldiers in five years and mentioned the access of Haitian officials to specialized training, notably the Master 2 in "Industrial Strategies and Public Defense Policies" at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, the statement indicates.