As part of the activities carried out in Dominica for the celebration today, May 18, 2021, of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Cuba and the Commonwealth of Dominica, the Ambassador Ulises Arranz Fernández, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Relations with the Diaspora, Honorable Dr. Kenneth Darroux, held a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting, it was possible to verify the excellent existing level in bilateral relations, an exchange was made about the work carried out, as well as its future possibilities. The recent signing of a new collaboration agreement in health matters, which extends the presence of the permanent brigade of collaborators for three more years, has been another of the activities carried out to commemorate the anniversary, as an expression of the will to continue increasing the relations between both countries.
On May 18, 1996, the Joint Declaration that establishes the relations between the Republic of Cuba and the Commonwealth of Dominica at the level of Ambassadors was signed and allowed to give a boost to the relations already existing since 1979, when in a meeting of Senator Rosie Douglas with Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, on the occasion of the VI Summit of Non-Aligned Countries, the free Scholarship Program for Dominica’s young began. This program has been maintained for more than 40 years, uninterruptedly, and has allowed more than 400 young people to graduate in university and mid-level careers, in different specialties. Permanent Cuban medical collaboration began in 1996 and has also continued uninterruptedly. It has been reinforced three times with a brigade from the Henry Reeve International Contingent of Specialized Doctors in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics. Today Dominica has 64 permanent health collaborators, with the possibility of that number increasing.
Other collaboration programs that have been carried out have been the “Miracle Mission”, through which 2,400 patients were operated their sight, free of charge in Cuba; the Cuban nursing program that allowed in Dominica training more than 150 nurses in various specialties. Similarly, to address the effects caused by Hurricane María in 2017, a Cuban rescue group traveled, as well as tons of humanitarian aid and construction material, together with two brigades of linemen and a forestry group, who they worked on the recovery of electrical service and on cleaning roads. A brigade of builders stayed for 15 months and worked on the repair of houses, schools, social facilities and other tasks. The areas of exchange between the two countries also include commerce, culture and sports.
The exchange of official visits between senior officials of both governments has been part of the bilateral agenda, which has made it possible to identify new areas of mutual interest and develop new projects. The Prime Minister, Honorable Dr. Roosevelt Skerrit has traveled to Cuba on several occasions, among which was his participation in the ceremony in posthumous tribute to Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, in which he transferred a sensible and memorable message.
The government and the people of Dominica have historically accompanied Cuba in the battle to end the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the US government, of which the most recent proof has been the approval in parliament of this sister nation of a Motion against the blockade and requesting that Cuba be removed from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, issued without any mandate, by the US government.
Relations between Cuba and Dominica are on the right track and with the possibility of continuing to grow, according to the words of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honorable Dr. Kenneth Darroux and the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, Ulises Arranz Fernández, in the meeting held on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
EMBACUBA DOMINICA
Signing of the new cooperation agreement in health matters
Permanent brigade of health collaborators
Henry Reeve Brigade of the International Contingent of Specialized Doctors in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics, which participated in the battle against COVID – 19
Brigade of builders that stayed for 15 months and worked in the repair of houses, schools, social facilities and other tasks; as part of the recovery of Dominica after the passage of Hurricane Maria.
