Dominica and Cuba plans to work more closely as 25 years of diplomatic ties complete

Dominica and Cuba celebrated their 25 years of diplomatic relations on Tuesday. Cuban Embassy in Dominica and the Prime Minister of Dominica wished each other through a message.

Prime Minister Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit said, “Dominica and the Republic of Cuba have completed 25-years of diplomatic relations. In this longstanding relationship, we have made significant advancement in enhancing our bilateral commitments in areas, including political, economic and people-to-people ties”.

The Cuban Embassy in Dominica stated that they appreciate the message of the Prime Minister, Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Cuba and Dominica and anticipates to cont Drincreasing their commitments.

On May 18, 1996, the Joint Declaration was signed that establishes the relations between the Republic of Cuba and the Commonwealth of Dominica at the level of Ambassadors and allowed to give a boost to the relations already existing since 1979, when from a meeting said Senator Rosie Douglas with Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, on the occasion of the VI Summit of Non-Aligned Countries, the free Scholarship Program for young Dominicans began. This program has been maintained for more than 40 years, uninterruptedly, and has allowed more than 400 young people to graduate in university with the possibility of that number increasing.

The “Miracle Mission”, through which 2,400 patients were operated on the sight, free of charge in Cuba; the Cuban nursing program allowed training more than 150 nurses in various specialities in Dominica. Similarly, to address the disaster caused by Hurricane María in 2017, a Cuban rescue and rescue group travelled, as well as tons of humanitarian aid and construction material, together with two brigades of linemen and a forestry group, who they worked on the recovery of electrical service and on cleaning roads. A company of builders stayed for 15 months and worked on repairing houses, schools, social facilities and other tasks.

The Prime Minister, Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, has travelled to Cuba on several occasions, including his participation in the mass ceremony in posthumous tribute to Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz. He transferred a meaningful and memorable message.

Relations between Cuba and Dominica are on the right track and with the possibility of continuing to grow, according to the words of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Kenneth Darroux and the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Ulises Arranz Fernández.