“We are receiving an excellent friend of Cuba, a brother, a person with feelings and convictions towards our people”, said the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, to the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Honorable Dr. Terrance Drew, at the beginning of the official talks between the two delegations. Terrance Drew, at the beginning of the official talks between the two delegations, after their formal reception at the Palace of the Revolution.
Dr. Terrance Drew studied Medical Sciences in Cuba, and this is his first visit to the island as Head of Government, in which he is making an official visit in the context of the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations, formalized on May 10, 1995.
The Cuban President highlighted the personal qualities and the humanistic projection of the Prime Minister towards the people of San Cristobal, and his closeness with the Cuban medical brigade working there, whose members, he said, he visits periodically; a recognition “that is received with great pride by our collaborators and increases the commitment they have with the people of that nation”.
The Head of State expressed to the Prime Minister that his visit strengthens the high level of political dialogue between both governments, and ratifies the excellent state of bilateral ties, which he described as relations of brotherhood, respect, admiration and mutual affection.
He thanked the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis for its support to Cuba in international forums, highlighting the condemnation of the blockade imposed by the United States and the unjust inclusion of Cuba in the list of States that allegedly sponsor terrorism.
He underscored Terrance Drew's firm position in the face of the pressures exerted by the U.S. government in its campaign against Cuban medical collaboration in the Caribbean.
He conveyed the firm will of Cuba to strengthen bilateral relations, to work to comply with the proposals made during the visit, and not only to expand collaboration in health, but also in fields such as construction, water resources, environment, tourism, agriculture and others.
He showed special interest in exchanges in the field of culture, to continue strengthening the cultural identity of both peoples and the knowledge of history.
The Prime Minister, who addressed Díaz-Canel as a brother, recalled that they are from “the same province”, recalling that he studied medicine in Villa Clara, and expressed his joy at being here again.
The links between St. Kitts and Nevis and Cuba, he stressed, are “relations of possibility, of mutual respect and of trying to build a better world”, and added that “they have permeated our peoples”.
He thanked the island for its permanent solidarity: “Without Cuba, it would have been much more difficult for us to deal with Covid-19”, he exemplified.
He recalled that when the Cuban brigade arrived in St. Kitts and Nevis to assist in confronting the pandemic in March 2020, he was not Prime Minister, but went to meet them at the airport.
Dr. Terrance Drew -who began his studies in Cuba in 1998 and graduated from the University of Medical Sciences of Villa Clara, after which he returned to his country to work as a general practitioner- recalled his time as a student, and praised the Cuban people, who were “extraordinarily good”.
That is why, he said, “every time I have a chance, I go to greet the Cubans”.
In the official talks, among other topics, the Premier expressed the willingness to continue strengthening the exchange in all possible sectors, mainly in medical collaboration, biotechnological production and scholarships for students from his country in Cuba.
He was accompanied by Dr. Denzil Douglas, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Industries and Consumer Affairs, Economic Development and Investment; by Verna Mills, Ambassador of St. Kitts and Nevis to Cuba; by Kenneth Douglas, Ambassador of Sports, and by Austin Edinborough, Advisor to the Prime Minister.
Representing Cuba were Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, member of the Political Bureau and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Eugenio Martínez Enríquez, Director General for Latin America and the Caribbean; and David Rivero Pérez, Cuban Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis.
LIVING TESTIMONY OF THE DEEP BILATERAL BROTHERHOOD
The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis also visited the Embassy of the Caribbean country and there, together with the Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Island, expressed his gratitude for being once again in the country that was his home for many years, and of which he has fond memories.
“In my first years of youth I studied in Villa Clara, therefore, I have great love for Cuba and I cannot separate myself from it”.
He exposed that in these three decades of diplomatic relations significant alliances have been forged for the two regions, such as medical, educational cooperation and technical training; however, “the true measure of our relations lives in the lives and communities transformed, in the bridges built and in the dreams that have become reality”.
Dr. Terrance Drew -a living testimony of the deep bilateral brotherhood- said he experienced the generosity of the Cuban people and the excellent education: "The medical training I received has shaped my career as a professional and my vision of what international solidarity really means.
Anayansi Rodríguez recalled that since May 10, 1995, when diplomatic relations were established between both nations, our peoples and governments have forged ties that transcend the political and economic spheres. He acknowledged the support in international forums and in condemning the unjust blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba.
As a symbol of the reinforcement to promote well-being in pursuit of Health, during his visit, the Prime Minister spoke with medical students from St. Kitts and Nevis who are currently studying medicine in Cuba, and signed a Memorandum of Intent between the ministries of the two nations, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Public Health.
