Warm meeting between the Vice President of Cuba, Salvador Valdés Mesa and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Rt. Hon.Dr. Denzil Douglas
After noon on Tuesday, the Cuban Vice President held a meeting with the Chancellor of St. Kitts and Nevis, Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, during which they reviewed the state of bilateral relations.
Valdés Mesa conveyed to Douglas the greeting of the Cuban people and government. Dr. Douglas was Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis between 1995 and 2015 when he promoted relations between the two countries and made the first official visit of a Prime Minister of that nation to Cuba.
The Vice President expressed his satisfaction with the dialogue with Cuban’s friend nation and conveyed a greeting to Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew. He also asked Minister Douglas to ratify the invitation made to the Prime Minister to visit Cuba on an official visit when his schedule permits it.
He also reaffirmed the willingness to continue and deepen bilateral cooperation in different areas of interest, such as health and sport, and also in the commercial sector.
On behalf of the people and the Government of Cuba, Valdés Mesa expressed his gratitude for the favourable position of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the votes of the United Nations General Assembly on the resolution to end the blockade. He also spoke of the serious impact that the inclusion of Cuba in the spurious list of the United States that supposedly sponsor terrorism is having for our people. This is, he told the St. Kitts and Nevis Minister of Foreign Affairs, one of the measures that is hurting us the most.
The leaders later discussed the cooperation of the Greater Antilles with the CARICOM countries, where approximately one thousand health sector collaborators work in conjunction with 12 members of the region.
During the dialogue, both parties valued the importance of participating in the Fourth International Conference on SIDS, here, in Antigua and Barbuda, and the issues that are being addressed, especially those associated with financing to address climate change and development. This is the main issue, Valdes Mesa reflected.
We, the Caribbean countries, the Cuban Vice President told Dr. Denzil Douglas, are on the first border, when facing hurricanes, droughts and other natural disasters, so we all need that financing.
On other matters, Valdés Mesa reiterated to his interlocutor Cuba's decision to advance and consolidate the agreements adopted at the last Summit of Heads of State and Government Cuba-CARICOM, the Eight Summit, held in December 2022, in Barbados.
The Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas recalled the development of bilateral ties during the 20 years he was at the head of the Government of this small island, one of which, he said, is Prime Minister Terrence Drew, "who thanks to the generous training program that Cuba gave us, was able to study Medicine there."
"It is a great pleasure for me to be here with you, on behalf of Prime Minister Drew, and to be able to listen to you,”" Douglas told Valdés Mesa. My country, he told him, confirms the deep gratitude of our Government and people, to the Government and the people of Cuba, which, despite the difficult conditions it is going through, has found the way to continue supporting us in our development.
"Saint Kitts and Nevis was the last CARICOM country to obtain its independence, we are the smallest in the Caribbean Community, but we are not afraid to publicly support Cuba and its people," Foreign Affairs Minister emphasized to the Cuban Vice President.
(Cubaminrex- Presidencia de Cuba)