Wellington, December 17th, 2017. - During a meeting held with the Ambassador of Cuba, Mario Alzugaray, Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown expressed interest in promoting greater exchanges with the Caribbean country, noting that despite geographical distance and cultural differences, Cuba and New Zealand share multiple resemblances.

Wellington, December 15, 2015 - At a meeting held in this capital with Ambassador of Cuba, Mario Alzugaray, Attorney General and Cabinet minister, Chritopher Finlayson, expressed his satisfaction with the progress in relations between New Zealand and the Caribbean country, restating the interest of his country to continue promoting bilateral ties. During the meeting, they exchanged information related to the process of updating the Cuban model and New Zealand´s will to offer useful details of its development path. The Attorney General also praised the Cuban Health System.

THE BAHAMAS, December 11th, 2015. - Yesterday, the Cuban Ambassador to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, Ismara Walter M. Vargas, held a meeting with the Bahamian High Commissioner to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Mr. Picewell A. Forbes, also a member of Parliament.

During the meeting, both parties discussed various topics of interest as well as the immediate objectives of work within this framework. Likewise, High Commissioner Forbes highlighted the closed ties between Cuba and CARICOM, and the role of The Bahamas in the aforementioned regional organization.

 THE BAHAMAS, December 10, 2015.- Yesterday the Ambassador of Cuba in The Bahamas, Ismara Walter M. Vargas was received in the parliament by the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis, leader of the Free National Movement (FNM), the main opposition party in the Bahamas.

During the meeting, both sides talked about the relations between the two governments and Parties, as well as various issues of bilateral interest. The Ambassador took this opportunity TO reiterate the invitation extended to the leader of the opposition to visit Cuba.

Wellington, December 9th 2015. – During a visit to this institution by Ambassador of Cuba, Mr. Mario Alzugaray, Executive Assistant at the Office of Deputy Vicechancellor, Mr. Kerri Kilner, expressed his interest in the promotion of linkages and cooperation exchanges with Cuban counterparts, especially in the development of joint research projects in areas of common attention.

 Barbadians newspapers highlighted the greeting stretching from Georgetown Prime Minister of his country, Freundel Stuart, in his capacity as President Pro Tempore of CARICOM to celebrate on December 8 as the day that marks the links between the Caribbean Community and Cuba, since bilaterally it established in 2002 in Havana the First Summit of Heads of State and Government.

In the panel discussion that was the focus of the activity organized by the Embassy of Cuba in Barbados to pay tribute to the 43 Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Barbados as well as the historical ties between Cuba and CARICOM, eminent guest speakers, Sir Shridath Ramphal, Dr. Tennyson Joseph and Ambassador Robert Morris, focused these fruitful relationships from different angles. Preceded by speeches of the Barbadian Foreign Minister, Hon.

The Hon. Maxine McClean, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, opened the celebration activities of both dates with Cuban Ambassador, Francisco Fernandez, which consisted of a panel discussion that addressed the historical and current context from many angles, followed by a cocktail party attended by Barbadian government officials, representatives of the business sector and civil society organizations, community of Cuban residents, members of the diplomatic corps and UN agencies and CARICOM resident in Barbados.

Ambassador Gail Mathurin, Director General Office of Trade Negotiations of CARICOM, resident in Barbados, gave an interview courtesy the Cuban Ambassador, Francisco Fernandez, serving to exchange on the good state of bilateral relations of the island with the Community. They reviewed the existing Agreement on Trade and Cooperation, which was updated in recent months allowing free access to the Cuban market of 297 products, from the request of member countries of the block.

On the 68th Anniversary of the partition of Palestine by the United Nations, the "Caribbean against Apartheid in Palestine" [CAAP] group held a public meeting and showed a film at the Venezuelan Cultural Institute in Hastings, Barbados. In this activity, chaired by Peter Ashan, President of the CAAP, activists urged Barbados to follow the example of most member nations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and recognize the State of Palestine. Among the attendees were the ambassadors of Cuba and Venezuela accredited in the country.