ANTIIGUA and BARBUDA, December 9th, 2009.- Caricom-Cuba Day emerged as one of the elements of the Havana Declaration adopted in December 2002 by Heads of Government of Caricom and Cuba. The Declaration, among other things, sought to further strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations between Cuba and Caricom and called on the Community and Cuba to celebrate Caricom-Cuba Day on 8 Dec. of each year. Significant strides have been made in relations between the Community and Cuba since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the first four independent members of Caricom – Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago – in 1972. The health, education, culture, trade and economic sectors in particular, have benefitted from the close ties between Caricom and Cuba. In Antigua and Barbuda was held a panel discussion on state radio (ABS) and TV, highlighting the course of the relations between the Republic of Cuba and Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the future of this relationship. The panellists were the Ambassador of Cuba, José Manuel Inclán; representative from the Prime Minister’s Office, Maurice Merchant, Representative from the Board of Education, Sharon Proctor, and Representative from Medical Profession, Dr. Philmore Benjamin. The moderator was Alex Nicholas. |