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Statement by Mr. Jorge Bolaños Suárez, Chief of the Cuban Interests Section, on the occasion of the celebration of Cuba-Caricom Day, at the Cuban Interests Section, Washington, D.C
December 10th, 2008. Last December 8th, we celebrated Cuba-CARICOM Day; the 36th 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 Latin American and Caribbean context.
Barrow, Burnham, Manley and Williams have entered in Cuban History as the great statesmen which drift away the isolation upon Cuba imposed by the US governments. They will never be forgotten by the Cuban people.
This celebration was result of the First Summit of the Heads of States and/or Government of Cuba and Member States of CARICOM in December of 2002 in Havana, where they agreed to celebrate each December 8th, the Cuba- CARICOM Day.
The Caribbean region continues facing up big challenges on the political, economical and social areas; all of them required that we join forces in its attention.
In the words of Fidel at the second Cuba-CARICOM summit in Barbados (December 2005): "to egoistic neoliberal globalization, to an anti-democratic international political and economic order, we must respond with unity and globalization of solidarity, with promotion of dialogue, integration and genuine cooperation”.
This is the path that Cuba has pursued and will always continue to pursue in its relations with our sister Caribbean nations.
In the DECLARATION OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, result of the Third Summit, recently celebrated, CARICOM Members and Cuba agreed to reaffirm the strong ties of brotherhood and solidarity among our nations and underscore that cooperation is an essential ingredient of regional integration in the Caribbean, which illustrates our will to continue the essence of our relationships.
In the Caribbean countries, 778 Cuban health aid workers, including 392 doctors, are offering their services as part of the Integral Health Program, and for the Operation Miracle, 54 210 Caribbean ophthalmological patients from 15 countries have been treated. On the other hand, 3 276 professionals from the Caribbean countries have graduated in Cuba, of them 1 043 of Medicine.
Our Caribbean brothers and sisters have repeatedly expressed their unwavering support for Cuba, at the United Nations and in other international forums, in opposing the embargo imposed on us. Time and again, attempts to divide them in their common policy of strengthening relations with Cuba have been resisted.
Thank you very much for your support and as the Raul Castro Ruz, President of the Republic of Cuba, said, in the last Cuba-Caricom Summit, the Cuban people and government have the will …“to continue fastening our bonds with the sister nations of the Caribbean, deepening cooperation to the extent of our capabilities and working towards greater integration while sharing in the defence of our common interests”.
On behalf of my Government, I also want to express my gratitude for the decision adopted by the CARICOM leaders to present to Fidel the ‘Order of the Caribbean Community’
Thank you very much.
(Cubaminrex- SICW)
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