October 12, 2018. Honourable Gaston Browne, Prime Minister, and Minister Maria Browne Honourable E.P. Chet Greene, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Trade Members of Parliament Your Excellency Gustavo Veliz Olivares, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, and Ms. Gilda Lopez Mestre Members of the Diplomatic Corps Ladies and Gentlemen Good Evening Lady Williams and I could not miss this opportunity to join expressing our sincere appreciation for one our hardest working resident diplomats, the Cuban Ambassador, His Excellency Gustavo Veliz Olivares. Ambassador Olivares with the support of his wife, Mrs. Olviares, has represented and served his country with dignity and distinction over the past five (5) years. Without a doubt, Ambassador has continued the tradition of demonstrating with actions rather than words, the Cuban commitment to making a positive difference in the countries with whom they have diplomatic relations. While Ambassador Olivares represented the Republic of Cuba in Antigua and Barbuda, he made it his business to also get to know and understand the country in which he served. This enabled him to fully represent our unique needs and requirements for technical and other assistance. Since the establishment of Diplomatic relations between our countries in April 1994, the Republic of Cuba has rendered great service to Antigua and Barbuda in such areas as: - Education – hundreds of scholarships - Health – scores of Doctors and Nurses - Infrastructural Development – dozens of engineers in road works, construction and utility services, - Sports – coaching, administration, sports medicine and physiotherapy - Culture – the Arts eg, sculpting Ambassador, I have no doubt that one of the highlights of your tenure, was the historic visit of President Raoul Castro to our shores. It was the very first time that a Cuban President had set foot on Antiguan and Barbudan soil. It was a momentous occasion for our nation which was marked by the signing of a declaration of Solidarity and Co-operation between our two Governments. Having observed your passion for continued friendly relations between our countries, we are confident that once you convey your philosophy and experiences of your tenure in Antigua and Barbuda to your successor, we have no fear of continued friendly and productive bilateral relations. I could not end my remarks tonight without making mention of Cuba’s quick response to Hurricane Irma’s disastrous impact on our sister isle of Barbuda. Even though Cuba was hit by the same hurricane, the Cuban leadership dug deep to provide us with assistance, which no doubt was at some sacrifice to the recovery efforts in Cuba itself. I can say without reservation that this is indicative of the depth of friendship and solidarity between our two countries. Ambassador, we are sincerely grateful for your work in facilitating this process. Your Excellency, Lady Williams and I add our commendation to you and your dear wife Gilda on your outstanding work and contribution to our country. We extend best wishes to you for success and invite you to visit Antigua and Barbuda in the near future. Thank you. His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams KGN, GCMG, KSt.J, MBBS