Pacific Islands in Havana and said his government is open to developing relations and collaborating with those nations.
HAVANA, Cuba, Sept 16 (acn) Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque inaugurated Tuesday the First Ministerial Meeting between Cuba and the Pacific Islands in Havana and said his government is open to developing relations and collaborating with those nations.
Perez Roque expressed Cuba's special interest in helping small developing islands which are threatened to be submerged by the ocean as a result of climate change.
Anote Tong, President of Kiribati, thanked the Cuban authorities for the warm welcome and on behalf of the participants in the meeting expressed his deep sorrow for the lives lost and the material damage caused by the
hurricanes that recently hit Cuba.
Tong noted that Cuba has contributed to the lives of many people around the world, including the Pacific Islands through the South-South cooperation program.
The ministerial meeting will give the participating countries the opportunity to discuss common challenges like climate change, strategies for dealing with natural disasters and the energy and food crises.
Fifteen Cuban doctors are currently providing services in Kiribati, as part of a collaboration program with the countries of the area. In addition, 64 persons from the South Pacific nations are studying medicine in Cuba. The Cuban government has offered up to 400 scholarships to young people of that region.