Cuba seek better transport in region

On the eve of a meeting of the Association of Caribbean States, representatives from Belize and Cuba today took the opportunity to engage in some bilateral diplomacy. The occasion was a “business encounter” and one of the topics addressed was the fact that despite their close physical proximity, the nations of the Caribbean often remain isolated from each other. News 5’s Marion Ali reports from the Chateau Caribbean.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Cuban Minister of Government, Ricardo Cabrisas, says the Caribbean, through the Special Committee of Transportation of the Association of Caribbean States, is working to improve the transportation situation between Cuba and the Caribbean.

Ricardo Cabrisas, Cuba’s Government Minister

“With regard to Cuba, we’ve been doing an important effort and we have already established some transportation lines with Cuban shipping agencies that are touching different ports here in the Caribbean, Jamaica, Panama, and others.”

For his part, Deputy Prime Minister, John Briceño, believes that “multi-destination tourism” is one way for all countries to gain.

John Briceño, Deputy Prime Minister

“The idea being now that we need to find a way how we can market the area or the region jointly, so that when the European tourists would decide to come, say to Jamaica, then they would decide that coming from Jamaica, they could come to Belize, from Belize they could go on to Cuba, and then from Cuba they could get back to their country. With Air Jamaica flying to Belize now, four times a week, we can fly now to Cuba in one day. We can fly from Belize to Jamaica and from Jamaica take another flight within a few hours on to Cuba. That’s the beginning. I think that once we start to develop that market, then I’m sure we can look into the possibilities of which we’re doing right now, to have a direct flight from Havana onto Belize.”

Marion Ali for News 5.

According to Cabrisas, Cuba is getting positive responses from the countries of the region.