Cuba President Holds Talks with Jamaica Head of State

Following this meeting, Díaz-Canel held a bilateral meeting with  Jovenel Moise, the outgoing President pro tempore of Caricom

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel visited the Montego Bay Convention Center on Thursday morning, where the XXXIX
Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is taking place.

On a day marked by cordiality, the Cuban President was received by the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, as well as by Kamina Johnson Smith, minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the host country.

The leaders of both nations held a dialogue marked by gratitude and the evocation of common roots.

Andrew Holness extended heartfelt congratulations to Díaz-Canel on his new role as Head of State of the Republic of Cuba and expressed to his counterpart that Jamaica is deeply grateful for the help that Cuba has given it in the areas of health and education.

Both referred to the path that the two countries can continue to take in the commercial field.

Holness expressed to his counterpart, on behalf of the leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the satisfaction of the representatives of the member States of the regional organization with the visit of the Cuban leader.

Díaz-Canel thanked for the welcome to the official Cuban delegation full of “much human warmth, hospitality and affection”.

It is something that has to do, the Cuban President commented, with the fact that Cuba and Jamaica are very close geographically, historically and humanly.

To his host, Diaz-Canel said Cuba is eternally grateful to Jamaica for that bold gesture in 1972, when the sister Caribbean nation established diplomatic relations with it, just when other countries in the hemisphere and the world did not recognize the Revolution and the ferocious imperial siege was felt with all its might.

This was followed by a bilateral meeting between Diaz-Canel and the President of the Republic of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, the outgoing President pro tempore of Caricom.

The dialogue focused on collaboration on water projects; the progress of the renovation of the airport at Cape Haitian; and the allocation of scholarships to young people from Haiti.

Díaz-Canel highlighted the special sensitivity that the First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, and the President of the National Assembly of People’s Power, Esteban Lazo Hernández, have shown towards Caribbean issues, especially those related to Haiti.

Diaz-Canel also participated in a working lunch with the Caribbean leaders, where an exchange took place on key issues affecting the entire Caribbean region.

During the session, the Cuban dignitary reiterated the Island´s solidarity with its Caribbean sister nations and its wish to reinforce ties in all possible sectors, and he thanked CARICOM´s for the invitation.

He also conveyed a message of friendship from the Communist Party Leader, Raul Castro.

For this Friday the dignitaries are planning to hold a meeting behind closed doors, and then have an exchange with the president of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, with whom they will also have a working lunch.

The Cuban President visited Jamaica for the first time since assuming office in April this year.