Pohnpei, 11 September 2016. – On the occasion of the Post Forum Dialogue at the 47th session of the Pacific Islands Forum, the Director General for Bilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Gerardo Peñalver Portal, confirmed the commitment of his country with the region, highlighting the willingness to continue exploring new cooperation projects.
During his speech, the Cuban diplomat also underlined the multiple coincidences between Cuba and Forum member countries, as Small Island Developing States, sharing ideas and common challenges on key issues of the international agenda, with an emphasis on environmental issues. The Director General of the Cuban Foreign Ministry also expressed gratitude for the support of the Pacific Nations in condemning the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States. He informed that soon a new resolution on the issue will be presented at the UN General Assembly, signalling the overwhelming support from 191 member states for the relevant resolution at the 70th session in 2015.
Cuba was admitted as a Dialogue Partner of the Pacific Islands Forum in the year 2013 and maintains diplomatic relations with the 16 Member States of that organization. Over the last decade it has developed multiple projects of cooperation with these countries. Cuban medical brigades have worked in Kiribati, Vanuatu, Nauru and Tuvalu. More than two hundred scholarships for health related studies have been given to young Pacific Islanders.
During the event, Peñalver held bilateral meetings with the heads of delegations from a dozen of the Forum member countries. (Embacuba Nueva Zelandia)