…as two countries celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties
President Dr Irfaan Ali has praised the strong friendship between Guyana and Cuba, noting that the Spanish-speaking nation has made “huge contributions” to the development of Guyana and its people especially in the area of healthcare.
The Head of State made these remarks at a reception held on Thursday evening to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between the two countries. There was a small gathering at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre in Georgetown, where the event was held.
But according to President Ali, the presence of the small crowd is in no way reflective of the “huge contributions” Cuba has made to the development of Guyana with the training of professionals in the medical and engineering fields.
“When we think about our healthcare system and the thousands of doctors and nurses that benefited from training in Cuba; when we think about our engineering system; when we think about the medical brigades that came to support our health sector; when we think about the selfless sacrifice of sharing even when Cuba itself had limited resources, it tells us about a people who are committed to the cause of humanity, a people who are committed to the upliftment of humanity, a people who are committed to ensuring that they do their bit to making the world a better place,” the Guyanese leader posited.
He went on to talk about Cuba’s commitment to humanity, reminding that the country deployed much-needed nurses and doctors to regions across the world to aid in their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. This, the President pointed out, was done at a time when Cuba is being faced with discriminatory treatment when compared to the rest of the countries in the Latin America and Caribbean Region.
In fact, it was outlined that Cuba has always been a faithful friend to the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and continues to be a top destination for leaders in the LAC Region to seek medical treatment.
“This tells you something about the character of the people themselves… [and their] interest in humanity. Cuba has shown us that if we put humanity at the centre of what we do, we can achieve great things,” President Ali stated.
Nevertheless, the Head of State contended that Guyana will continue to maintain its strong, solid, respectful and dignified relationship with Cuba.
“Cuba indeed has played an integral part and continues to play an integral part in the transmission of our healthcare sector… Our relationship with Cuba is based on shared goals and aspirations for our people. It is based on certain values and principles. We support, firmly, every environment in which the prosperity, honour, dignity and pride of the people is foremost in what we do. This is important for advancing the cause of humanity,” he added.
It is for this reason, the Guyanese leader explained, that Guyana has consistently stood with Cuba at international forums such as the United Nations, where it not only denounced the blockade by the United States onto Cuba but also called for the full removal of the sanctions.
More recently, he added, Guyana endorsed a Caricom statement which asked that Cuba be removed from a list of terrorist countries.
“As we forge ahead, we must find a place in this world where everyone can be accommodated, where we can be around a table and talk issues out. We must find a place in this world where different views can be tolerated and where ideas can be developed through proper consultation and dialogue. There is no replacement for dialogue in the building of peace. This Region we are so proud of must remain a zone of peace and we value the importance of dialogue in keeping this Region a zone of peace.”
“Today, as we celebrate 50 years of strong friendship, on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana I wish the President, Government and people of Cuba the best of health, prosperity and success. I wish to reassure the Cuban people that in Guyana, lies a true, faithful and strong friend,” the President declared.
Guyana and Cuba established diplomatic relations on December 8, 1972. A commemorative stamp to mark the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations was also unveiled at the reception.
Cuba’s Ambassador to Guyana, Narciso Reinaldo Amador Socorro, thanked the Guyana Government for commemorating the bilateral relationship with the issuance of the stamp, which displays the respective national symbols of both nations.
According to Ambassador Socorro, the feeling of mutual respect and friendship of solidarity between the two countries date back many years, when Guyana along with three other Caricom nations decided to establish ties with Cuba thus breaking the diplomatic siege which the country had been subjected to.
“With pride, the relations between our nations are anchored in history like one of the huge trees in the Guyanese forests with deep roots which we have the sacred duty to protect so that we may continue growing [and] be fruitful,” the diplomat stated.
The Cuban Ambassador further posited that during these past 50 years of bilateral relations, there have been many achievements that benefited both Guyana and Cuba – particularly the training of more than one thousand Guyanese professionals in Cuba and the presence of the Cuban medical brigade in Guyana consistently for some 46 years.
“The achievements we have accomplished undoubtedly constitute a solid ground for further progress. In this regard, I wish to express the willingness of the people and the Government of Cuba to continue working hard to protect and strengthen the relationship between our two nations,” Ambassador Socorro, who is wrapping up his five-year tenure in Guyana, noted.
Among the attendees at Thursday’s reception were: Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd, other Cabinet Ministers and members of the diplomatic community.
