Raul Castro delivering opening remarks at the Cuba-CARICOM Summit in
Santiago de Cuba
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba: CARICOM Heads of Government and delegates arrived in Cuba for the Third Cuba-CARICOM Summit, which opened in Santiago de Cuba on Monday.
Addressing the opening session, Cuba’s President Raul Castro Ruz said he and the Heads were meeting at a time of uncertain economic realities, as they try to deal with the "neo-liberal policies, which have ruined international finances, credit relations, commercial and capital flows, payments and reimbursements and the value of hard currencies."
Castro said that the entire system of the financial apparatus has collapsed and that the rules and regulations imposed by the large economic powers on small countries, such as the Caribbean nations, are in a crisis.
"During the crisis, whose scope and death can hardly be foreseen, the most vulnerable stand to pay the highest costs," Castro said. "In the developed nations, it will be the poor worldwide; the developing nations will have to carry the brunt of the burden. One way or another, the reckless disaster caused by speculation, individualism and greed will hurt the Caribbean economies."
Castro said the projects created between his country and CARICOM will be strengthened as they were not based on neo-liberalism, neither are they aimed at taking a comparative advantage or maximizing profits.
Castro said these projects are aimed at promoting development, justice, unity and the welfare of human beings.
"Despite the present conditions, these elements enable us to have confidence in the continuity and the strength of our bonds and in the possibility to continue developing our cooperation as an essential component of Caribbean integration," Castro said. "As we proceed with every project and programme, with the exchange of skilled personnel and the transfer of technology, with the training of health professionals of the offering of health services, we are closer to the integrated region it is our aspiration to build."
Castro said providing health care to CARICOM is still a priority of his government, as over 2,000 Cuban doctors and healthcare professionals have provided services to the CARICOM member nations.
The Cuban president stressed that over 56,000 persons from the 13 CARICOM member states have either improved or recovered their sight, under the auspices of 'Operation Miracle'.
He said his government intends to establish eye centres in Guyana, St Lucia and Jamaica, to provide the region with extensive ophthalmology services and create the capacity to operate on 215 patients a day.
Castro also spoke of the challenges his people are faced with as they battle to recover from hurricanes which devastated Cuba, and the energy crisis.
"We Cubans are proud of our Caribbean roots and our relations with the nations in the region. We shall always be grateful for the support and solidarity received from your governments and peoples. At the same time, we feel deeply committed to those with whom we share theses warm waters and a dramatic Antillean history," Castro said
Raul replaced his ailing brother Fidel as Cuba’s President and made the point that the Cuba-CARICOM Summit was being held against the background of the "genocidal economic blockade imposed by the US administration, combines with unavoidable effects of the world economic crisis and the devastating consequences of the three hurricanes which hit our country." |
