SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, Dec 8 (acn) Cuba will not give up nor abandon its commitments to its fellow nations, said Cuban President Raul Castro when inaugurating the Third Cuba-CARICOM Summit in this city.
Raul Castro told the Caribbean leaders attending the meeting that Cuba will overcome the US economic blockade, the effects of the world financial crises and the impact of three hurricanes, continuing with its efforts towards integration and finding new means of cooperation.
As part of this, the Cuban president referred to the 480 scholarships that will be offered for university studies in the coming year to the countries of the region. Of them, 150 are for medical schools, explained Raul Castro. He also highlighted the continuity of programs for health assistance, including the Operation Miracle eye-surgery project.
Since 2005, more than 56,000 people improved or fully recovered their sight (through Operation Miracle), noted Raul Castro and added that the figure of people benefiting from the eye-care project will increase still more with the opening of three more eye clinics in Guyana, Saint Lucia and Jamaica.
Meanwhile, over the past three years, more than 1,300 Caribbean students have graduated in Cuba from 33 university or technical school courses and 567 from medical institutions.
Today, more than 2,900 people from the Caribbean are currently studying in Cuba, of them 1,478 are being trained as doctors, said the Cuban leader.
Raul reaffirmed the Cuban stance in favour of regional integration and pointed out that every single project, program, exchange of skilled labour, technology transfer, educational or health initiatives led by Cuba is a new step towards integration.
In his speech, Raul Castro also spoke about the importance of the Summit taking into account the economic uncertainty generated worldwide as a result of failed neo-liberal policies and a serious world crisis, "whose scope and circumstances are yet to be predicted," he noted.
The first step to face such crises, he said, would be taking actions to reduce oil consumption as much as possible at a time that renewable and clean fuel sources are being searched for, and on which Cuba has been seriously working.
The Cuban president repeated the official welcome to the participants in the summit on behalf of the Cuban people and especially those from Santiago de Cuba, the host city, and the rest of the eastern provinces. He passed on a message of greetings from Fidel Castro, whom Raul said was the main promoter of the unity among "our peoples."
During the opening ceremony, it was announced that CARICOM's highest award, the Order of Honour of the Caribbean Community had been bestowed on Fidel Castro, the first such honour granted to a non-CARICOM leader.
Raúl: cuba cumplirá sus compromisos con pueblos hermanos
miércoles, 10 de diciembre de 2008
CARICOM Condemns Economic Blockade of Cuba
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba, Dec 8 (acn) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) today condemned the US economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba and hopes that the new US administration puts aside such an economic warlike policy.
A surprising cold war relic still subsists, said Baldwin Spencer, who is the pro-tempore president of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community during the Cuba-CARICOM Summit, underway in this eastern Cuban city.
Spencer, who is also Antigua-Barbuda’s Prime Minister, recalled that today’s world is quite different from that of the 1970´s, while Washington maintains its blockade of Cuba although the overwhelming majority of UN member nations have voted against the US measure.
The Caribbean Community hopes that the ongoing changes in the United States definitely make the US measure a past chapter, said Baldwin.
Cuban President Raul Castro previously gave the opening speech at the event’s inaugural session and affirmed that Cuba will honor its commitment to its sister nations by going ahead with its integration efforts in new cooperation ways.
On behalf of the rest of Caribbean leaders, Baldwin acknowledged the role played by Cuba as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement in the 2006-2009 period of time. He extended his gratefulness to Cuba for its assistance in the fields of health and education.
CARICOM countries are being benefited by the work of highly skilled personnel in the fields of engineering, agriculture, medicine, sports and arts; those professionals are helping develop capacities in each nation, he said.
Baldwin Spencer stated forth the position of the CARICOM on the need to produce changes in the international financial system and that the United Nations should play a leading role in the issues related to world economic management.
He favored to the establishing a true international monetary reserve system, which avoids the dependence of the countries on the national currencies to keep their reserves.
Spencer also requested Cuba’s support of a petition of a international financial system aimed at the foreign debt management so that it allows for a wider debate space for vulnerable economies, like those of small island states that make up CARICOM.
Baldwin Spencer also reiterated CARICOM´s willingness to take new steps towards regional integration and sent a solidarity message to the Cuban people affected by recent hurricanes that recently hard hit Cuba. The pro-tempore CARICOM president announced that Cuban Revolution Leader Fidel Castro would be granted the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC).
Fidel has proved that Cuba is and continues to be a true friend, said Specncer as he said that the OCC is a public acknowledgement to Fidel for his support of the economic and social development of the Caribbean Community.
Comunidad del Caribe condenó bloqueo yanqui a Cuba
A surprising cold war relic still subsists, said Baldwin Spencer, who is the pro-tempore president of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community during the Cuba-CARICOM Summit, underway in this eastern Cuban city.
Spencer, who is also Antigua-Barbuda’s Prime Minister, recalled that today’s world is quite different from that of the 1970´s, while Washington maintains its blockade of Cuba although the overwhelming majority of UN member nations have voted against the US measure.
The Caribbean Community hopes that the ongoing changes in the United States definitely make the US measure a past chapter, said Baldwin.
Cuban President Raul Castro previously gave the opening speech at the event’s inaugural session and affirmed that Cuba will honor its commitment to its sister nations by going ahead with its integration efforts in new cooperation ways.
On behalf of the rest of Caribbean leaders, Baldwin acknowledged the role played by Cuba as Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement in the 2006-2009 period of time. He extended his gratefulness to Cuba for its assistance in the fields of health and education.
CARICOM countries are being benefited by the work of highly skilled personnel in the fields of engineering, agriculture, medicine, sports and arts; those professionals are helping develop capacities in each nation, he said.
Baldwin Spencer stated forth the position of the CARICOM on the need to produce changes in the international financial system and that the United Nations should play a leading role in the issues related to world economic management.
He favored to the establishing a true international monetary reserve system, which avoids the dependence of the countries on the national currencies to keep their reserves.
Spencer also requested Cuba’s support of a petition of a international financial system aimed at the foreign debt management so that it allows for a wider debate space for vulnerable economies, like those of small island states that make up CARICOM.
Baldwin Spencer also reiterated CARICOM´s willingness to take new steps towards regional integration and sent a solidarity message to the Cuban people affected by recent hurricanes that recently hard hit Cuba. The pro-tempore CARICOM president announced that Cuban Revolution Leader Fidel Castro would be granted the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC).
Fidel has proved that Cuba is and continues to be a true friend, said Specncer as he said that the OCC is a public acknowledgement to Fidel for his support of the economic and social development of the Caribbean Community.
Comunidad del Caribe condenó bloqueo yanqui a Cuba
Cuban Olympic Wrestling Champion Retires
HAVANA, Cuba, Dec 8 (acn) Cuban Yandro Quintana, Athens 2004 60 kilo wrestling champion, retired from his active career, announced the National Commission of this sport.
Quintana, an outstanding wrestler, with majors results both in Cuba and abroad, has severe damage in one of his shoulders and will probably undergo surgery, which will prevent him from practicing this sport.
Filiberto Delgado, head of the coaching technical staff of the Caribbean nation, told ACN news agency that Quintana’s retirement represents abig blow to Cuba’s wrestling, but “the health of our athletes is the most important thing for us,” he added.
Delgado also announced that Ivan Fundora, bronze medallist in Athens and Baku 2007, will also retire soon and it will be another absentee to Cuba’s team in the next events.
The free style wrestlers are meeting ready for the First Category Nacional Championships, to take place in eastern Santiago de Cuba province, from where the national team will be chosen.
Cuba’s main competitions in 2009 are the World Cup in Iran next March, the Pan American Wrestling Championships in Venezuela (April) and in September Denmark’s World Championships.
Yandro Quintana, dice adiós al deporte activo
Quintana, an outstanding wrestler, with majors results both in Cuba and abroad, has severe damage in one of his shoulders and will probably undergo surgery, which will prevent him from practicing this sport.
Filiberto Delgado, head of the coaching technical staff of the Caribbean nation, told ACN news agency that Quintana’s retirement represents abig blow to Cuba’s wrestling, but “the health of our athletes is the most important thing for us,” he added.
Delgado also announced that Ivan Fundora, bronze medallist in Athens and Baku 2007, will also retire soon and it will be another absentee to Cuba’s team in the next events.
The free style wrestlers are meeting ready for the First Category Nacional Championships, to take place in eastern Santiago de Cuba province, from where the national team will be chosen.
Cuba’s main competitions in 2009 are the World Cup in Iran next March, the Pan American Wrestling Championships in Venezuela (April) and in September Denmark’s World Championships.
Yandro Quintana, dice adiós al deporte activo
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