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I am deeply honoured to address
the people of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and
of Cuba, on this the 34th Anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba
and Members of the Caribbean Community. On that
historic day in 1972, four independent CARICOM
countries - Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad
and Tobago - in a bold act of diplomacy and of
strong commitment to the concept of the “oneness” of
the Caribbean, established diplomatic relations with
the Republic of Cuba. Since then, the CARICOM-Cuba
relationship has been one of solidarity and
fraternity. Over the years it has become stronger
and has deepened and now includes cooperation in the
political, economic and social domains.
A year ago, the Heads of Government and of State
of CARICOM and the Republic of Cuba met in Barbados
to reaffirm our friendship and reaffirm our mutual
commitment. On that day, not only did we celebrate
the 33rd anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relations, we also strengthened our ties
with the signing of “the Declaration of Bridgetown”
and of a CARICOM-Cuba Cultural Co-operation
Agreement, another major development since the first
CARICOM-Cuba Summit in 2002.
Given our shared ideals and the close
relationship that exists between Cuba and CARICOM, I
would like to reiterate the concern expressed by me
as Chairman of the Community earlier this year on
behalf of the entire Community, and to assure the
people of Cuba of our individual and collective
wishes for the well-being and recovery of His
Excellency President Fidel Castro Ruz.
For us in CARICOM, we see CARICOM-Cuba day as an
annual occasion to celebrate the fraternal links
between the Governments and people of CARICOM and
the Government and People of Cuba. We are
particularly appreciative of the solidarity which
has characterised our relations, and the technical
and other forms of assistance that Cuba has
consistently provided to our people, particularly to
the young people of the Region, as they seek to
develop their professional skills and contribute to
the building of our nations and, collectively, the
Community.
Today, there are almost 3000 CARICOM students
studying in Cuba, a large number of them
beneficiaries of scholarships from the Cuban
Government. Their studies in the disciplines of
medicine, engineering, telecommunications,
architecture, computer science, and geology, among
others, will have a tremendous positive impact in
their home territories and the CARICOM region.
We recognise and acknowledge Cuba's generous
assistance, particularly in the field of health in
which that country excels. You have built hospitals,
provided medicines, laboratory support facilities,
doctors, nurses and other health care professionals,
as well as eye care and other types of treatment in
Cuba and in the Region for CARICOM Nationals.
Cuba has also played a pre-eminent role in the
popularisation and preservation of Caribbean culture
in particular the performing arts and it continues
to be involved in our regional cultural festival,
CARIFESTA.
The Caribbean Community is confident that our
relations with Cuba will continue to flourish
through trade, cultural and sporting exchanges, and
the many other forms of interaction and
collaboration that now constitute and reinforce the
ties that bind us. The Community will also continue
its representation to have Cuba reintegrated into
the Councils of the Hemisphere of which it is
geographically a part. Our common aspirations and
shared challenges as people of the Caribbean demand
no less.
In conclusion, today, on behalf of the
Governments and People of the Caribbean Community, I
extend fraternal greetings and best wishes to the
Leadership and People of Cuba.
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