CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

Jamaica Invited to Join ALBA

JAMAICA, 13 March, 2007.- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez invited Jamaica to join the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) on Monday as a way out of the crippling poverty that affects the overwhelming majority the population.

"We have come to invite you to join us in going beyond the existing integration mechanisms to form and continue strengthening a new opportunity for union," said Chavez at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding on natural gas.

After meeting with Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson, Chavez confirmed that Caracas will cooperate with Jamaica in all the areas suggested by its government.

Chavez ratified his country’s readiness to supply gas to Jamaica to expand its bauxite industry and offered "to make an extra effort" to help in the production of aluminum, aluminum oxide and several alloys.

"Whenever Jamaica decides on it, we would look within the ALBA for the resources and technology to develop that chain; as we are currently doing in Cuba with steel, for instance," said Chavez.

During a press conference, Prime Minister Simpson said her country "absolutely backs these principles and that’s why we promise to consider this ALBA proposal and discuss it further in the future."

During their talks at the Half Moon Hotel, Chavez insisted that "unity is the key to develop large national businesses, quite different from the concept of the transnational."

Chavez said the project would take off when refineries are built in Nicaragua and Panama and other countries and linked to Venezuela's Paraguana oil refinery complex.

"These enterprises can become part of a productive business group to process oil for the market and to supply our countries and others.

"Only by joining efforts will we be really free, sovereign and independent, with our own political, economic and social model of development."

Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela are the current member countries of ALBA. (Cubaminrex-Granma)

<< Back