Cuba and CARICOM ratify willingness to strengthen relations

Solidarity and collaboration are the most precious weapons of the exchange between Cuba and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Tuesday during the 7th Summit of Heads of State and Government.

We have concluded a fruitful exchange on the development of our nations and the progress of the relations between the member states of the CARICOM-Cuba mechanism", the President pointed out at the closing of the meeting, held virtually.

The Cuban head of State described the meeting as opportune to deal with issues such as the need for more affordable credit mechanisms, the increase of economic and trade relations in the region, and the fight against climate change.

"We reaffirm that multilateralism continues to be a cornerstone in the search for joint solutions," he acknowledged.

The context demands reaffirming the commitment to Latin America's declaration and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, the President stressed.

For his part, the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, rejected the imposition of unilateral coercive measures against Cuba and called for an end to the US economic, financial, and commercial blockade.

We love the people of Cuba very much; they are part of the Caribbean civilization, what we have done confirms the kindness and goodness of our peoples," said the also pro tempore president of Caricom.

The Covid-19 presents times of unprecedented danger, Gonsalves acknowledged during the opening of the bilateral Summit. He called to act with solidarity given the region's economic losses, mainly due to the impact on tourism activity.

The complex geopolitical scenario demands the strengthening of multilateralism. We must fight to protect all of us, he said.