Koror, Palau, August 31, 2026.- Cuban delegation continues to hold bilateral meetings as part of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum (55PIF), which is taking place in Palau from August 30 through September 4. Led by Cuban Ambassador Néstor Torres, the delegation from the Caribbean island has held high-level meetings with the secretaries-general, ministers, and other officials from Vanuatu, Micronesia, Tonga, Kiribati, and the Solomon Islands, successfully strengthening diplomatic relations, securing support in international forums, and marking historic anniversaries of diplomatic relations.
On the sidelines of the regional event, the Cuban ambassador met with the Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu’s Minister of Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geological Hazards, and Disaster Management. The Caribbean diplomat expressed gratitude for Vanuatu’s annual vote at the UN General Assembly in favor of lifting the U.S. blockade and thanked the country for its continued support against the economic sanctions affecting Cuban families. Cuba and Vanuatu, historic partners in health and the multilateral arena, are celebrating the 43rd anniversary this year of the establishment of their diplomatic ties, which were formalized on March 11, 1983.
During discussions with the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Cuban representative met with Ricky Cantero, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and with former President Peter Martin Christian Souissa (the country’s 8th president from 2015 to 2019 and a key figure in the bilateral rapprochement). Micronesian officials expressed their deep gratitude for the graduation of a student from their country in Cuba in 2026 and expressed mutual interest in expanding scholarship programs. This meeting coincides with the run-up to the 11th anniversary of their official diplomatic relations, established on September 9, 2015.
In addition, a courtesy meeting was held with the Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of Tonga, Hon. Vika Sivoki Lavemaau. The Cuban diplomat expressed his deep gratitude for the Kingdom of Tonga’s historic support and vote against the blockade. The meeting served as an opportunity to commemorate the 24th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, which were originally established on June 17, 2002.
Late in the afternoon, the Cuban diplomat met with George Hoa'au, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Solomon Islands. The discussion focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, highlighting the impact of Caribbean medical collaboration, thanks to which the Solomon Islands now have more than one hundred medical graduates from Cuba.
The active participation of the Cuban delegation, combined with the meetings held, confirms the excellent state of the ties of friendship, solidarity, and cooperation that unite the Caribbean archipelago with the peoples of the Pacific Islands.
(EmbacubaFiyi)