- Your Excellency Jorge Francisco Soberon Luis, Plenipotentiary Representative Designate of the Republic of Cuba to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM);
- Ambassador Donna Forde, Assistant Secretary-General, Foreign and Community Relations, and Staff of the CARICOM Secretariat;
- General Council, Ms Lisa Shoman;
Excellency, welcome to the Headquarters of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). It is my pleasure and honour to receive your letters of credence as the Plenipotentiary Representative of Cuba to CARICOM.
Indeed, today’s Ceremony is symbolic of the historical and friendly bonds that unite CARICOM with Cuba.
Ambassador, over the years, the Caribbean Community and Cuba have forged a strong and meaningful relationship. This relationship stems from and builds on the decision of the then four independent CARICOM States, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago to jointly establish diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1972. That symbolic and courageous act at the height of the cold war continues to unite our peoples, and serves as the solid base for the strong and enduring collaboration between Cuba and our Community of nations.
The CARICOM-Cuba Triennial Summit process has been an effective mechanism for our leaders’ political interactions and for advancing cooperation initiatives to increase our self-reliance for the well-being of our people.
Excellency, I know that that during your tenure as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Community we will work together to facilitate implementation of commitments made by our respective Heads in the Political Declaration adopted at the Eighth CARICOM-Cuba Summit held in Barbados in December last year.
We look forward to close collaboration as we prepare for the Seventh Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of CARICOM and Cuba later this year, here in Guyana.
CARICOM Member States place great value on our strong and enduring bond, and the excellent spirit of cooperation that has been of great assistance, both bilaterally and regionally, particularly regarding human capacity building and provision of health care, both critical to improving the welfare of the people of the Community.
You assume your role as Ambassador during the year in which CARICOM marks the important milestone of 50 years. We look forward to engaging with you as the different activities are unveiled.
Ambassador Jorge Francisco Soberon Luis, I wish you a warm welcome as Ambassador of Cuba to CARICOM and a successful tenure. I assure you of my support, and that of the staff of the Secretariat, as we work together to forge even stronger ties between the Caribbean Community and the Republic of Cuba.
I thank you.