Cuban Foreign Minister meets with Prime Minister
In day 2 of his visit to Belize, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque met for talks with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Said Musa in Belmopan. Topics on the table included additions to the agreements of education and health between the countries, but tourism and trade were also discussed.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
This morning in Belmopan, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Said Musa and Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Felipe Perez Roque signed 3 legal documents regarding agreements in the areas of health and education.
Prime Minister Said Musa, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“Today we have signed an agreement which serves to strengthen the collaboration at the Foreign Minister level between Belize and Cuba. It also seeks to support the agreement made in education and health in terms of setting out necessary conditions for our students who go to study in Cuba. Things like if you fail, you have to come home, which some people might take for granted. But sometimes it’s worth spelling out and also to spell out in a little more detail, the relations with the doctors and nurses who come to serve and help us in Belize.”
Felipe Perez Roque, Foreign Affairs Minister, Cuba
“I’ve been able to see the work done here by the Cuban doctors. I’ve been able to see the way in which the population appreciates their work and I take comfort in knowing that over 100 Cubans are working in Belize, are curing diseases, and are working and helping in deliveries of an ever increasing population of women in Belize and are working in remote places, in the hospitals. I’ve been able to visit some of these places and actually I feel impressed by the way in which the population has sheltered them and treats them. I would like to express here the most steadfast determination of the Government of Cuba to continue working in order to expand and develop the relations with Belize.
Janelle Chanona
“Yesterday the Foreign Minister spoke about the Cuban way of sharing, especially in areas in which they lack. He called on the housing plant even though there is a housing shortage in Cuba. Can the Belizean people expect that your government will be assisting Cuba in any way?”
Prime Minister Said Musa
“Yes, I think we should first of all recognize that the tremendous assistance that Cuba is giving us comes a great sacrifice to their people. Cuba is not a rich country, but it is a very committed country that lives the spirit of solidarity, with the third world, with all the developing countries of the world. Belize has been one of many beneficiaries of this generous spirit of the Cuban people. I believe we have a lot to learn from that, and I believed that and I believe we should reciprocate in showing the same spirit of solidarity, and indeed we have already offered to the Cuban government, to provide them with 10 scholarships for Cuban students to come to Belize to study English at our Regional Language Centre. That’s one of the example of the way we’re collaborating.”
And as Belize continues to collaborate with Cuba, Prime Minister Musa says in the near future, he hopes serious trade talks will also be on the table. But until major factors like the transportation hurdles are cleared, it seems Belize and Cuba will soon team up in tourism.
Prime Minister Said Musa
“On a related matter of course we are very interested in the scope from multi-destination tourism in attracting European tourists to Belize, via Cuba. Cuba today is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the Americas, certainly in our region. I believe now, that they are approaching something like 2 million tourists a year, if they haven’t surpassed that yet. And as the minister would point out, they have the beaches and so forth, but what we have, Cuba doesn’t have: the diversify tourism, the eco-tourism, the Mayan temples, and we can go on taking about our caves and what’s not. So if we can package these things multi-destination wise for the European tourists, I believe that a lot of good can come of it between Belize and Cuba. “
At the end of today’s press conference, the Foreign Ministers exchanged gifts. With such rapport displayed between the countries, there is no telling what or who will come next.
This afternoon, the Foreign Minister was given a tour of the Regional Language Center at the University College of Belize in Belmopan. Felipe Perez Roque also met with members of the business community in Belize City at the Radisson Hotel. The Cuban delegation leaves Belize tomorrow morning.
