Diaz-Canel thanks Cuba for its solidarity at the 8th CARICOM summit (+ photos)

Bridgetown. – The space for celebration and honoring on Tuesday was the opening of the eighth summit between CARICOM and Cuba, held in Barbados, in which a high-level Cuban delegation headed by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the head of the Communist Party participated. Republic Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermúdez.

Cuba and the Caribbean celebrate on this day the courageous decision of the leaders of Jamaica (Michael Manley); Trinidad and Tobago (Eric Williams); Guyana (Forbes Burnham), and Barbados (Errol Barrow), which decided on December 8, 1972 to establish diplomatic relations with the Greater Antilles, thus putting an end to the isolation to which they were subjected by the United States and the organization. from American countries.

Fifty years after that event, the Cuban head of state called during the opening session of the meeting to reflect on the importance of “the achievements made in these years and how much we can do for the well-being of our nations.”

I bring you a hug from General Raul Castro Ruz, he said, “an admirer of the dignity of our Caribbean brothers and tireless advocate of the relationship between our peoples and our governments.”

“This meeting goes beyond formal relations and testifies to our deep bonds of brotherhood. It also indicates the continuity of the ideas and work of our historical leaders, who laid the foundations for the consolidation of our relations, within the framework of the principles of solidarity, friendship, selflessness and gratitude.

The President of the Republic spoke of that brotherhood and how much Cuba has done in all these years to strengthen it. They are clear principles that the Greater Antilles have always championed and that, in a post-pandemic world, make the need to foster “more solidarity, more understanding, more cooperation and more unity” even more evident.

It is inevitable to recall Fidel, whose thinking and work brought us closer to the Caribbean and are today invaluable references to the region.

Thank you Cuba for everything you do

President Diaz-Canel also sent a message of gratitude to the 8th Summit of CARICOM and Cuba, because the solidarity and friendship between the Caribbean and the Greater Antilles have been “unbreakable” over the years to a bridge that unites the Latins. People of America and the Caribbean.

The need for this integration, which is necessary to save our peoples in many ways, was recorded in their interventions by Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community; Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; And Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname, the country that holds the presidency of the Caribbean Community until next December. In his words, he also thanked Cuba for all that the people of the Caribbean are doing in the field of health and other sectors.

CARICOM is convinced, admitted the President of Suriname, that cooperation with Cuba will allow us to find solutions to many of the problems that threaten us, as has been the case in recent years.

In this sense, the invitation of the Prime Minister of Barbados was to make this event a space “to stand up for the people of the Caribbean who today more than ever need our cooperation and solidarity. Let us move on and for our staff to see clear benefits from this meeting.”

The Caribbean: an invaluable contribution

Diaz-Canel reflected that the relations of cooperation between Cuba and the sister countries in the Caribbean have certainly allowed us to contribute to the development of their countries in sensitive sectors such as health and education; But at the same time they made an invaluable contribution to us.

“Living in harmony with the neighboring Caribbean peoples, with their customs, history, traditions and folk culture have mutually enriched us,” he said.

The President spoke of commitment to the health of our sister nations in the Caribbean, a mission he said was “not temporary and that is why it has been preserved in the most difficult moments.” He agreed with the Cuban government’s desire to continue expanding relations in this regard, to continue training professionals in various sectors, and to “exchange experiences in the field of health to address common problems in our region.”

There are 851 Caribbean Scholarship holders in Cuba and more than 6,000 alumni since the arrival of the first students. In addition, more than 2,000 Cuban doctors, technicians, nurses, sports coaches, engineers and professors work today in the CARICOM countries. “We are fully prepared to maintain and strengthen ties and exchanges that enhance this cooperation for mutual benefit,” the president said.

In particular, the official acknowledged the courage of “the authorities of the countries gathered here, in defense of the presence of Cuban professionals and technicians, in the face of the massive and cynical campaign of our enemies against the Cuban medical cooperation, which is trying to deny the health services that Cuba provides to the inhabitants of the Caribbean.”

In his speech, marked by the symbolism and closeness that have united us in many decades of joint action, the President of the Republic highlighted the importance of concerted efforts to be able to advance the not simple task of restoring economies from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He pointed out that our economies have the capacity for intra-trade and insisted on the need to “take advantage of trade outlets and promote their development for the benefit of our countries.”

Let us exploit the capabilities of each individual to the maximum extent and effectively, based on a regional economic formula that gives priority to integration, whereby each country produces what is most competitive for it and exchanges goods and services within the limits of the financial capabilities available to us. “.

About Caricom

The eighth CARICOM-Cuba Summit began in Barbados, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, on December 8, 1972, between the first four independent territories of the English-speaking Caribbean and the larger Antilles.

Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago decided to formalize relations with Cuba, after gaining independence from the United Kingdom, and despite the territorial isolation experienced by the largest of the Antilles.

🎥 | The eighth summit of the Caribbean Community and Cuba begins.

We are in Barbados, where the solidarity and brotherhood of the countries of the Caribbean breathe. pic.twitter.com/IHLHtgrIMl

– Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (CubaMINREX) December 6, 2022

Those four countries led the founding in July 1973 of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), an integration mechanism to which Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Monserrate, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis also belong. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel arrived in this country the day before on an official visit and will take part in the summit, which is taking place in the context of the 20th anniversary of CARICOM-Cuba Day, which has been held on December 8 every year since 2002. When one of these dates met in Havana for the first time .

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel arrived in this country the day before on an official visit to participate in the summit. Photo: Alejandro Azki.

The eighth CARICOM-Cuba Summit began in Barbados, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, on December 8, 1972. Photo: Alejandro Azquiy.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel arrived in this country the day before on an official visit to participate in the summit. Photo: Alejandro Azki.

The summit is taking place in the context of the 20th anniversary of CARICOM-Cuba Day, which has been celebrated on December 8 every year since 2002, when one such meeting was first held in Havana. Photo: Josefina Vidal/Facebook.

Summit video