Wellington 6th of February 2017. - On the occasion of the commemoration of Waitangi, Day and as part of a program organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, members of the Diplomatic Corps participated in National Day celebrations and festivities. The Cuban Ambassador in Wellington, Mario Alzugaray, took advantage of this opportunity to convey local authorities a congratulatory message on behalf of the Cuban Government and ratify the will to further promote new progresses in relations between the two countries.
In successive encounters with the Governor General Patsy Reddy and Prime Minister Bill English, the Cuban diplomat expressed his Government's satisfaction for the state of bilateral ties. During the exchange Mr. Alzugaray highlighted the presence of four health specialists in Turanga, as a part of an English language program in New Zealand, to flight later to provide assistance in Kiribati and Vanuatu. The program, funded by the kiwi government, displays the potential for trilateral cooperation, highly beneficial to improve the quality of the services provided to the small island developing States.
Among the leaders also contacted by the Cuban professional, was the Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully, who thanked the support received from his Cuban counterparts during his long tenure as head of the kiwi diplomacy.
As part of the program, the group of foreign diplomats visited historic sites linked to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi between Maori chiefs and British settlers. Troops from the NZ Navy perform the Beat of the Retreat ceremony, in remembrance of what is considered the birth of the nation. (Embacuba New Zealand)