- Dear Katharina Spanring, Villach city councillor,
- Dear Sabine Seidler, President of the Rotary Club of Villach,
- Dear friend Christine Muttonen,
- Dear friend of Cuba, members of ÖKG, the Friendship Association in the Carinthia region led by their President, Stefan Salzmann,
- Dear compatriots, residents in Carinthia who are accompanying us,
- Dear Ladies and Glentlemen,
As the Ambassador of Cuba to Austria, it is a great satisfaction to participate together with a good part of the personnel of the Embassy, in this "Very Cuban Night" organized with love, enthusiasm and good taste.
Firstly, I would like to thank the organizers, Sabine and Christine who started to pull the strings in order to gather willingness and resources to enjoy what we see tonight since the beginning of this year.
I am pleased and moved to see you here, summoned by music, culture and history of our small and irrepressible Island which sails in the Caribbean Sea, far away from the geographical point of view, but so close tonight in your hearts.
Cuba stands out for its music, its cigars, its rums and exquisite cocktails, for its beautiful and exotic beaches, and its hereditary cities. However, Cuba is much more than that. It is also history, traditions, and struggle for its independence and resistance to the fiercest economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed against a country by the United States.
Today we are living a historical moment of change and continuity, of continuity and change to preserve the achievements of the Revolution and to build a prosperous and sustainable socialism as a legacy for future generations.
Cuba offers multiple possibilities for trade and investment in the tourist sectors related to the construction and administration of hotels, golf courts and marinas; as well as in the biotechnological sector and the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture and commercialization of novel and advanced medicaments of international interest. Besides, energy, transportation and infrastructure sectors also offer possibilities for the development of projects.
We invite Villach´s friends to visit us and get to know us more closely. Similarly, we invite businessmen to invest in Cuba taking advantage of the possibilities that complement us and the elements that unite us.
Both countries are messengers of vast cultural and musical heritages. The Mozartian Lyceum of Havana is a proud disciple of its counterpart of Salzburg. We have in Cuba four breweries derived from the expertise of the Salm Bräu brewery in Vienna. We are both small countries with similar populations and a lot of enthusiasm when undertaking projects.
We invite you to enjoy this night, as an antecedent of your next trip to the Caribbean Island.
Once again I would like to thank the members of the Rotary Club of Villach for their noble project to help children in their sport and artistic development.
I thank you very much!
(Embacuba Austria)