It is my distinct honour to address the people of the Caribbean Community and of Cuba as we celebrate another CARICOM-Cuba day on this the 35th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and four CARICOM Member States, namely Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana Trinidad and Tobago. Since that historic day in 1972, the bonds of friendship and solidarity have deepened significantly to incorporate a high level of collaboration in the political, economic and social spheres.

Over the past 35 years, the relationship between CARICOM and the Republic of Cuba has been marked by a number of significant milestones, the most recent of which was the signing in 2005 of “the Declaration of Bridgetown” by the Heads of State and Government of CARICOM and of Cuba . Our mutual commitment to cooperation was reaffirmed by the CARICOM-Cuba Cultural Co-operation Agreement of 8 December 2005. This Agreement facilitated a continuation and a deepening of the many collaborative links which the Community had already forged with Cuba , including cooperation in the areas of health, sports, engineering, education, culture and in the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS.

It is perhaps in the field of human resource capacity building through the generous Cuban offering of numerous scholarships as well as in the health domain with the deployment of so many Cuban doctors and nurses that the people of the Region are most keenly aware of the support of Cuba to the development and wellbeing of the Community.

The Government and People of the Caribbean Community therefore wish to record their appreciation for the concrete and practical demonstrations of goodwill which Cuba has extended in these and other domains, and which have facilitated the building of the Region’s expertise in a wide range of areas of vital importance to the Community.

At the trade and economic levels, the Region has established a presence in Cuba embodied in the Trade Facilitation Office which was opened by Trinidad and Tobago earlier this year. As trade levels between Cuba and the Region continue to expand, we welcome the role which this Office will play in further supporting and enhancing the flow of goods between Cuba and the Region.

As small states in the Caribbean, we experience similar vulnerabilities, opportunities and challenges, and it is therefore particularly beneficial that CARICOM Member States and Cuba are able to share information and best practices in areas such as disaster management. In that context, I wish to highlight our appreciation for the technical assistance and information provided by the Cuban Institute of Meteorology. They have been of great value to the work of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre. Of equal importance is the support offered by Cuba to CARICOM in international fora on issues such as environmental sustainability and climate change. It is our responsibility to ensure that as a Region we work together to build increased understanding of these issues which threaten our economies and to elicit an urgent and appropriate response from the international community.

The field of culture has also provided an avenue for mutual understanding and we recognize the pre-eminent role which Cuba has played in the popularization and preservation of Caribbean culture. In past years, Cuba has been actively involved in our regional cultural festival, CARIFESTA, and we look forward to the active participation of Cuba in the 2008 CARIFESTA celebrations to be held in Guyana in August 2008.

The common Caribbean identity which we share with Cuba has been an important factor in encouraging South-South cooperation, facilitated through fora such as the G77 where Cuba and CARICOM have collaborated closely to ensure that our collective economic and development interests are articulated and promoted. Similarly, we welcome the Cuban presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement and its efforts to achieve the revitalization of this Movement to which the countries of the Caribbean Community remain committed as an important forum for the coordination of positions on issues of priority to the developing world.

Recognizing the right of every nation to determine its own development priorities and strategies, the Caribbean Community takes this opportunity to reiterate the call for the unjust economic commercial and financial embargo imposed against the Republic of Cuba to be lifted so that our sister nation can rise to its full economic potential for the benefit of its people and the peoples of the Region.

As we celebrate another year of friendship, we look forward to another year of continued cooperation. We also look forward to Cuba reclaiming its rightful place in the councils of the hemisphere. I take this opportunity on behalf of the Community to extend out collective wishes for the wellbeing and continued recovery of His Excellency President Fidel Castro Ruz.

The Caribbean Community is confident that our relations with Cuba will continue to flourish in the years ahead, and it is therefore my privilege and honour to use this historic occasion to express on behalf of the Governments and People of CARICOM, the Community’s renewed commitment to the further enhancement of those relations and to extend our best wishes to the Leadership and People of Cuba.

Contact: piu@caricom.org