Prime Minister Hon. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama ended his official state visit to Cuba on a high note last night after meeting the Cuban President His Excellency,
Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana.
The Prime Minister was accorded a guard of honour before his bilateral meeting with H.E Diaz-Canel.
He said Fiji and Cuba were both committed to helping the world through its great difficulties.
Whether they are challenges of eradicating poverty or promoting good health and care for our people or climate crisis, he said the two countries are always on the right side of the debate table.
Prime Minister Bainimarama is the first Fijian leader to have visited Cuba for an official state visit. This is an expression of the two countries’ continued friendship, solidarity and advancing Fiji and Cuba’s mutual interests since establishing diplomatic relations in 2002.
At the meeting, discussions were centred on agriculture, medical collaboration and tropical medicine, climate change, sports, reciprocal free visa entries and the Pacific Islands Forum with Cuba as a dialogue partner.
On the issue of medical collaboration and tropical medicine, Prime Minister Bainimarama thanked the Cuban Government for its international collaboration which has immensely benefitted the Small Island Developing states like Fiji.
Such collaboration has seen the high number of Fijian students pursuing their six-year medical studies at the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana.
These students are sponsored by the Fijian Government through medical scholarships.
Prime Minister Bainimarama said he recognised Cuba’s resilient healthcare system in using natural medicine and looked forward to advancing the two countries’ collaboration opportunities in the area of medicine.
On the issue of climate change, Prime Minister Bainimarama thanked Cuba for being the first country to enshrine the fight against climate change in its constitution.
His Excellency Díaz-Canel was pleased to host the Prime Minister and his delegation, adding the visit would certainly benefit both the countries.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Bainimarama also visited the Colonial Habana Museum to learn more about Cuba’s history and the La Cohiba Cigar Factory.
At the cigar factory, he witnessed first-hand the manual production of cigars and packaging process, among other important information. Tobacco farming makes up only a small fraction of Fiji’s agriculture sector and government is looking at innovative ways to increase the production of such a lucrative commodity.
Cuban Cigars are the “Rolls Royce” of the cigar industry usually associated with quality, wealth and status. This is a niche area where Fiji’s small tobacco industry can draw more valuable lessons from.
The highlight of the Prime Minister’s visit was meeting the 21 Fijian medical students who are presently pursuing their six-year medical studies in Cuba.
He hosted the students over luncheon and later had a talanoa session with them.
Prime Minister Bainimarama later laid a wreath at the Jose Marti Memorial to pay homage to those Cubans who sacrificed their lives in conflicts for their beloved country.