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Address by the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Jorge Payret Zubiaur, on the occasion of the CUBA-CARICOM DAY.
December 8th, 2010.
Citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries and CUBA, celebrate today, December 8, CUBA-CARICOM Day. This date this year is also the 38th anniversary of the joint decision by Barbados, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Jamaica and the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba, a brave gesture that defied the policy of isolation imposed by the United States on our country.
In the years to follow, other Caribbean states who gained independence joined the abovementioned four countries in establishing diplomatic ties with Cuba.
The Heads of State and of Government of Cuba and the CARICOM who met in their First Summit in Havana on December 2002, decided to celebrate henceforth the Cuba-CARICOM Day on December 8th.
Cuba and Saint Kitts & Nevis established diplomatic relations on May 10,1995 and already in 1996 arrived the first 4 Cuban specialists in health care, followed by others in areas such as education, sports, energy saving and agriculture. A medical brigade of 12 health care professionals works at the Federation; they have checked over 91,000 persons. More than 700 patients in the twin-islands recovered their sight thanks to Operación Milagro (Operation
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Miracle). Currently, more than 1500 Cuban cooperators render their services in the Caribbean, of whom 83,5% are from the health sector.
The bonds of friendship and collaboration between member countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Republic of Cuba are especially marked on this Day, celebrated all over the region.
The relationship between CARICOM member states and Cuba is such that of the approximately 4,100 Caribbean students graduated from Cuban institutions of higher education since 1961, near 3,700 comes from CARICOM and more than 1,700 are medical graduates...
Around 70 youth from St. Kitts and Nevis are studying in Cuban higher education institutions and since 1961 some 80 have finished their studies in Cuba. Locally, the health sector has benefited from doctors, nurses and other medical specialities. Many of these professionals today care of Kittitians and Nevisians health necessities at the main hospitals and health centers in Basseterre, Charlestown, and other towns and villages in the Federation.
Other professionals have graduated as architects, electrical and civil engineers, psychologists, agronomists, industrial and mechanical engineers, accountants, economists, sociologists, chemical engineers, in Spanish language and literature, veterinary medicine, telecommunications, information technologies and science, forestry,
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early childhood education, or sport and physical education, just to mention the wide range of disciplines attended by these graduates.
These are important figures if we consider the relatively small population of the twin-islands Federation and the hugh effort done by Cuba in fulfilling the needs of skill technical and scientific professionals of St. Kitts and Nevis and other Caribbean countries..
Today 27,391 students from 126 countries study in Cuba. More than 30 thousand study in their own territories with the assistance of Cuban professors. We have already fulfilled our compromise to prepare, in ten years, 100,000 Latin-American and Caribbean medical doctors. 31,528 university students from 135 countries have graduated in Cuba.
Haiti is an example of the necessity of alleviating its suffering and how the Caribbean countries may cooperate together with other stakeholders from the international community. In recent days Cuba has sent 300 additional health professionals to fight cholera, to join the already there 714 Cuban health collaborators, 100 Latin-American and Caribbean medical doctors and 89 Haitian, trained in Cuba.
In Haiti there are already 76 health centers and hospitals and our purpose is to dedicate up to 50 centres to fight now against the cholera epidemic that could also threaten all our region, as well as trying to solve the consequences of the devastating earthquake and other problems affecting Haiti’s population.
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CARICOM member states consistently supports Cuba by voting at the United Nations General Assembly in favour of the Resolution pertaining to ending the financial, commercial and economic embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba in 1962. The representatives of our Caribbean brothers and sisters have not only repeatedly expressed their support to our country at the UNO, but also in important questions related to Cuba’s activity and presence in international forums and institutions. This support is also reciprocated by Cuba in its relations with CARICOM member countries, bilaterally and multilaterally.
I take the opportunity to express our best wishes to the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis as well as expressing our appreciation for the cooperation developed among our countries and authorities in the framework of Cuba-CARICOM relations.
Thank you.
(Cubaminrex-Embacuba San Kitts y Nevis) |
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