His Excellency Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of Suriname and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM);
Honorable Prime Ministers and Presidents of CARICOM member countries;
Doctor Carla Natalie Barnett, Secretary - General of the Community;
His Excellency Mr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States;
Her Excellency Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados;
Distinguished heads of delegations and special guests:
Today the happy celebration of the 50th anniversary of the relations between the sister countries of the Caribbean and Cuba brings us together.
The date invites us to reflect on the achievements of these years and how much more we can do for the well-being of the Caribbean nations.
It is an honor for Cuba to participate in the VIII CARICOM-Cuba Summit and a real pleasure to finally meet again personally.
Exchanging between brothers, as has happened regularly and constantly for the last 20 years, is something we owe to a proposal made by the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, thanks to whose initiative it was agreed to celebrate these meetings in the common desire to consolidate special bonds of friendship and collaboration within the framework of South-South cooperation.
I bring you a hug from Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, an admirer of the dignity of our Caribbean brothers and tireless defender of the relationship between our peoples and governments.
This meeting transcends formal relationships and attests to deep ties of brotherhood. It also evidences the continuity of the ideas and the work of the historical leaders, who forged the grounds for the consolidation of relations, framed in principles of solidarity, friendship, selflessness and gratitude.
These precepts, together with the conviction of our belonging to the Caribbean, are part of the legacy, in terms of thought and action, deeply humanist and internationalist of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz.
What he expressed at the first CARICOM-Cuba meeting in 2002 we unequivocally ratify today: "The children of Cuba are and will be at your entire disposal."
It will always be accurate and exciting to remember that the courageous decision made by Errol Barrow, from Barbados; Forbes Burnham, from Guyana; Michael Manley, from Jamaica, and Eric Williams, from Trinidad and Tobago, in 1972, was decisive for the Caribbean and Cuba to develop their relations at the highest political level, honoring the existing links between our peoples from the common colonial past. To all of them, the eternal tribute.
Dear friends:
The post-pandemic world, if there is a post-pandemic, demands from governments more solidarity, more understanding, more cooperation, and more unity.
As so many times throughout its dramatic history, today the Haitian sister nation is going through a particularly complex situation. On behalf of Cuba, which advocates for stability and peace in Haiti; that defends the right of its people to find a peaceful solution, through dialogue, to its great challenges, we ratify here the willingness to continue offering our help to that sister nation.
From here we call to raise the quality of international solidarity with Haiti, based on full respect for the sovereignty and self-determination of that people, especially in the current situation, marked by such painful challenges, such as the recent outbreak of cholera that this country is facing.
We urgently urge other regional and international actors to join in the search for formulas and concrete projects for triangular cooperation, as well as to provide resources and technologies that can be transferred as substantive aid to Haiti.
Dear Friends:
Cuba's cooperative relations with the sister nations of the Caribbean have surely allowed us to contribute to the development of your countries in sectors as sensitive as health and education, but at the same time, they have given us an invaluable contribution.
Living harmoniously with the neighboring Caribbean peoples, with their customs, histories, traditions and popular culture has enriched us mutually.
Our historical commitment to the health of the peoples of the Caribbean is not temporary and for this reason, it has been maintained in the most difficult moments. This will include the willingness to donate 144,000 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 to the sub-region.
We invite the clinical use of our biotechnological medicines for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19, an experience that we have already shared with some of the countries represented here; as well as other innovative products resulting from the development of Cuban science.
Likewise, we reiterate the willingness to share experiences in health to address common problems in the region.
I wish to ensure that the offer of scholarships to study Medicine and other careers, as well as the training of highly qualified personnel in various sectors, will continue to be a priority in the relationship with the CARICOM countries. Today there are 851 Caribbean scholars on our Island and more than 6,000 graduates since the arrival of the first students.
More than 2,000 Cuban doctors, technicians, nurses, sports trainers, engineers and professors work today in the CARICOM countries. We are most willing to maintain and consolidate the links and exchanges that strengthen this cooperation, for mutual benefit.
I take this opportunity to recognize the courage of the authorities of the countries gathered here, in defense of the presence of Cuban professionals and technicians, in the face of the enormous and cynical campaign of our enemies against Cuban medical collaboration, which tries to deprive them of health services offered by Cuba to the Caribbean population.
Solidarity has characterized the progress of bilateral ties. This reality has allowed us to enjoy long-standing ties and a high level of political-diplomatic dialogue. It is up to us to improve the exchanges to design and continue working in the search of opportunities and in the realization of joint projects.
We must increase efforts to make the Center for the Stimulation of the Development of Children, Adolescents and Youth with Special Educational Needs, in Guyana, and advance the project of the Caribbean Regional School of Arts, based in Jamaica.
A fundamental aspect of the development of nations is the diversification of energy sources, prioritizing those that are renewable.
In this effort, the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Cuba has linked up with the Caribbean Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to, together, seek alternatives in our nations, while joining your efforts and experiences to obtain a better benefit from the international financing available on this matter.
It might be thought that language differences represent a barrier among our peoples; On the contrary, we consider that it constitutes an area with great potential for cooperation in both directions. The educational systems require it and we have the human resources for it.
Dear heads of delegation:
In recent years we have witnessed a notable increase in the impact caused by the effects of climate change and natural disasters, particularly in Small Island Developing States, where the intensification of extreme weather events is already evident and practically irreversible: droughts, hurricanes, deterioration of soils and sea beds, the arrival of Sargasso sea, increase of temperatures, among others.
We are witnessing a period of increasing exchanges between scientists and environmental agencies and of progress in the preparation of our nations for the mitigation of the risk of natural disasters.
It is vital to continue promoting actions to preserve the Caribbean ecological system and understand the severity of the impact of climate change, preparing ourselves for the worst scenario. For this, in the Caribbean, we have advanced confrontation protocols and highly qualified personnel.
At the VI CARICOM-Cuba Summit, we signed the Agreement between the Cuban Civil Defense and the Caribbean Agency for Disaster and Emergency Management, which has made it possible to expand and integrate early warning systems in the region. By virtue of it, in recent years dozens of specialists from the region have been trained in Cuba in managing the response to natural disasters with the participation of the scientific community and UNESCO. Several rescue corps from the Caribbean have participated in the courses that Cuba offers at the Regional Rescue and Fire Training Center.
Excellencies:
The recovery of our countries in this post-pandemic stage is by no means an easy task. The nations, already afflicted by the imprint of an unfair international financial system that benefits the most developed, are struggling to rise up in a scenario of global and multilateral crisis that threatens us with special force.
Our economies have the potential for intraregional exchange. We know that it is complex to achieve a fluid and mutually beneficial trade, but we can and must take advantage of business niches and promote their development. Let us exploit to the maximum and effectively the capacities of each one based on a regional economic articulation that prioritizes complementarities, each country producing what is most competitive for it and exchanging goods and services to the extent of the financial possibilities available to us.
In 2017 we signed the Second Additional Protocol of the CARICOM-Cuba Trade and Cooperation Agreement. In 2021, the tariff concessions granted by Cuba to the Caribbean Community under the Protocol entered into force. With the necessary legal support, this tool will constitute a step forward in the promotion and identification of trade with tariff benefits and an incentive for businessmen.
Another area in which we can make progress is investment. Cuba has a wide investment portfolio in various spheres of the economy. Government structures, in constant improvement, are ready to meet your requests. The Mariel Special Development Zone offers incentives to foreign investors and its geographical location places it at the center of important international maritime routes.
Caribbean brothers:
I wish to reiterate Cuba's deep gratitude to the members of CARICOM, to its General Secretariat, for their solidarity and support in the face of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and after the unfortunate accidents and natural events that occurred in our country this year, which They have caused loss of human life and considerable material damage. The resources made available to the country by the Caribbean peoples have materially and spiritually fueled the efforts to recover.
We also want to express our gratitude for the unconditional and sustained support of the CARICOM States, in all the forums that have been made available to them, for the legitimate demand that the illegal and unfair economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on Cuba cease. For more than 60 years. We also appreciate your condemnation of the unilateral inclusion of Cuba on the illegitimate list of States sponsoring terrorism.
In particular, we deeply value the dignified position assumed by the Caribbean brothers in denouncing the exclusion of Cuba and other countries of the continent from the so-called IX Summit of the Americas, which took place this year in Los Angeles, United States.
We are extremely satisfied with the close relations that CARICOM and Cuba have forged over the years. It was the commitment of Commander-in-Chief, Fidel Castro Ruz and Army General Raúl Castro to maintain unity between our countries, supportive cooperation, support us in the face of the challenges imposed by the colonial past, support common positions in the international arena and, above all, , define the essence of our friendship.
Dear colleagues, brothers, and friends:
I am certain that this meeting will demonstrate that the unity of people is essential for human improvement and to achieve a more just, equitable, and sustainable world. We are convinced that this meeting will strengthen the indestructible nature of our ties.
I appreciate your unwavering solidarity and friendship toward Cuba. When we receive them in Cuba or, like now, when we visit you, we Cubans feel like true brothers.
Know that we always keep you in mind, that when a calamity or event occurs in one of your countries, we suffer it as our own. We will always, always be by your side, supporting you and sharing our modest resources!
Together we have managed to establish a paradigm in international relations in which respect and solidarity prevail, demonstrating that a better world is possible. That was the dream of our predecessors and it will be the endeavor of their successors.
Before concluding, allow me an anecdote.
Dr. Antonio Romero, president of the Chair of Caribbean Studies at the University of Havana, recounts that the great Jamaican economist and prominent scholar of the Caribbean, Norman Girvan, once expressed in Havana that Cuba should try to resolve what he considered a dichotomy in terms of national identity: defining oneself as a Caribbean country or as a Latin American country. After a year of debate, Cuban Caribbean scholars concluded that "Cuba is, because of its historical experience and not just because of its geographical position, both a Latin American country and a Caribbean country." Girvan, who died in Cuba in April 2014, then confessed that this was the key that he had not considered in his close relationship with Cuba and the Revolution and that this explained, in an absolute way, why Cuba was seen by the Caribbean as the bridge between them and the rest of Latin America.
We always want to be that bridge between two identities that we share, for the good of our people and the integration that will save us.
I take the words of Army General Raúl Castro in 2017, at the meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, to ratify that the Caribbean can always count on Cuba! So it has been and so it will be!
Thank you very much! (Applause.