Suva, June 10, 2026.- Cuban Ambassador, Néstor Torres Olivera, presented to the Honorable Paulson Panapa, Tuvalu’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Labor, and Trade, the copies of his Letters of Credence, accrediting him as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba to Tuvalu. The ceremony took place at the offices of the High Commissioner of Tuvalu in Fiji.
The meeting focused on reviewing bilateral and multilateral issues while commemorating the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Tuvalu, which began on April 26, 2006.
The Cuban ambassador proudly highlighted the impact of bilateral medical collaboration, by 2025, a total of 21 Tuvaluan citizens had already graduated as doctors from institutions in Cuba. The bilateral agenda aims to expand these public health programs and replicate successful technical assistance initiatives in other sectors, drawing on similar efforts currently being carried out in the Pacific.
The diplomat also provided an update on the complex socio-economic situation facing the Cuban people, which is heavily influenced by the intensification of the embargo imposed by the current U.S. administration. The ambassador denounced the serious implications of recent White House executive orders, which impose severe sanctions on foreign companies, individuals, and financial institutions linked to various strategic sectors in Cuba. The Cuban diplomat extended the deepest gratitude of the Cuban government and people to Tuvalu for historically maintaining its vote in favor of the UN resolution against the blockade.
Present at the meeting were Mr. Pasuna Tuaga, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Labor, and Trade of Tuvalu, and other officials from the Office of the High Commissioner of Funafuti in Suva.
(Embacuba Fiji)