A Belize delegation returned from Cuba over the weekend after having participated in the 10th Belize/Cuba Joint Commission for Economic and Technical Cooperation held in Havana, Cuba on 18th and 19th October 2007.

The delegation was headed by Hon. Lisa Shoman, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and included representatives from the Ministry of Health, Transport, Communication and Local Government, the Ministry of Labour, Education and Culture, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Works, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and the Office of the Prime Minister.

On the occasion of the visit to Cuba, the delegation met with H.E. Felipe Perez Roque, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba to discuss bilateral issues and H.E. Ricardo Cabrisas to discuss Trade issues and negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU).

The intensive two day meeting between Government officials and leading public officers of Belize and Cuba was held to analyze both countries’ working relationship and discussed ways in which it could be enhanced.

At the end of the Tenth Session of the Joint Commission for Economic and Technical Cooperation, a working agreement was signed to ensure the continuation and strengthening of bilateral relations between Belize and Cuba.

The main areas of cooperation between Belize and Cuba focus on Health, Education, Agriculture, Fisheries and Cooperatives. The Cuban counterpart agreed to receive a delegation from NEMO to conduct a working visit to Cuba before the end of 2007 and also agreed that an exchange program for emergency experts be carried out during the year 2008. The Cuban side also expressed its willingness for the Institutes of Archives and Record Services of Belize to conduct a working visit before the end of this year to maximize from the opportunities offered by Cuba.

Signing for Belize was Hon. Lisa Shoman, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; and Hon. Marta Lomas Morales, Minister for Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation for Cuba.

In her address at the Joint Commission’s opening ceremony, Hon. Lisa Shoman thanked the Government of Cuba for their selfless contributions to the Government and people of Belize and committed to establish the necessary contacts to collaborate in fields of mutual interest, in particular, Climatic Changes, Natural Disasters and the Environment.

The Hon. Lisa Shoman also thanked the Government of Cuba for their continued support of Belize’s territorial sovereignty and said that Belize will continue to give its support to the UN Resolution “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the USA against Cuban people”.

The 11th Session of the Joint Commission for Economic and Technical Cooperation will be held in Belize in 2008.


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