Your Excellency Mr. Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China:
Your Excellency, Mr. Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico:
Your Excellences, Chancellors and Heads of Delegation:
The world still faces the onslaught of the pandemic. It is urgent to follow the road to recovery, to overcome the multiple crisis that it has generated.
In spite of the intensification of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the U.S. government, Cuba marches on towards the new normality. Our country has mostly been able to control the pandemic, has developed effective vaccines of our own, and within our possibilities, the country has contributed to regional and global efforts.
China’s contribution to our region in the battle against COVID-19 has been particularly relevant.
Cuba in honored to have been the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to have established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. We reiterate our unwavering support and fraternity to the only and indivisible China.
We are proud to have contributed to consolidating of our bonds of cooperation, in creating the CELAC-China Forum in Havana in 2014.
Today, we all agree that adding CELAC to the Belt and Road Initiative launched by President Xi Jinping in 2013 will create new opportunities for cooperation and mutual benefits. Likewise, we support China’s initiative for Global Development announced in the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
We welcome the proposal to hold a Forum Summit on occasion of its tenth anniversary in 2024. It will surely allow us to assess the Forum’s results and define goals. The creation of the CELAC-China Forum is a long-lasting and strategic endeavor.
We hope that this III Ministerial Meeting of the Forum will contribute to move forward in that noble purpose.
Thank you.
(Cubamnrex)
