Greater Georgetown, Guyana – Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr the Honourable Kenny D Anthony has lauded the relations between the Community and Cuba.
In a message marking the 40th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Member States of the Community and Cuba, Dr Anthony said the bold and historic step taken by Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in 1972 initiated a journey that had taken the two sides along the path of a rewarding partnership with mutual benefits.
“The Member States of the Caribbean Community have, since that historic day, maintained their unflinching support for the Republic of Cuba in various international fora and take great pride in being pioneers in this hemisphere with respect to the recognition of Cuba as an integral part of our vibrant and diverse Caribbean region and our hemisphere,” the Chairman said.
The benefits of the co-operation, Dr Anthony said, redounded throughout the Community whether it was through the provision by Cuba of scholarships or technical assistance in the education, health, sport and cultural sectors. “These initiatives have had a positive impact on the ground in our Member States and have brought our countries even closer,” he added.
The CARICOM Chairman said that what was most striking about the solidarity displayed by Cuba with CARICOM was the quantum and diversity of the assistance that Cuba provided despite the constraints placed on its own economic development by the United States economic, commercial and financial embargo as well as the accompanying extraterritorial measures, which CARICOM and the overwhelming majority of the international community repudiated.
