Presidents of Cuba and Seychelles evaluated commitments and joint perspectives 

Photo: Estudios Revolución

The fourth meeting between the presidents of Cuba and Seychelles in a year is one more reason to continue strengthening the historic relations between the two nations, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez told his counterpart from the African island nation, Wavel Ramkalawan, whom he officially received on Wednesday night at the Palace of the Revolution.After the solemn welcoming ceremony, the leaders held talks, in which the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic recalled the exchanges with the President of the Republic of Seychelles, in September 2023 in Havana, on the occasion of the Summit of the Group of 77 and China; then in New York, during the United Nations General Assembly; later at the Climate Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and now again here.The meeting now -he said- will allow us to continue addressing "issues that concern us, answers we share, commitments we have, and to review the progress and prospects of our relations".Díaz-Canel ratified to Ramkalawan the commitment and political will of the Cuban government to continue strengthening the ties of friendship between both countries and collaboration in health and other areas of mutual interest.The Cuban President thanked the Republic of Seychelles for its support to the UN resolution to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the U.S. government against Cuba, as well as the strong support it gives to the African Union's statement in this regard.He also delved into the relevance of the struggle to remove the Caribbean Island from the spurious list of alleged countries sponsoring terrorism, due to the severe impact it is having on our people.For his part, Wavel Ramkalawan expressed his gratitude for the generous welcome he has been receiving since his arrival in Cuba: "Here one feels at home. Seychelles is an island nation like this one, and even the temperatures make me feel as if I were there".He also stressed that Cuba and Seychelles are friends who meet again to consolidate relations, and thanked the collaboration and assistance that the Greater Antilles has been providing to his nation for several decades.The official talks were attended, for the Republic of Seychelles, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, and the Ambassador to Cuba, Ian Madeleine.The Cuban side was represented by the member of the Political Bureau and Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla; the Minister of Public Health, José Angel Portal Miranda; the Director General of Bilateral Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Miguel Pereira, and the Cuban Ambassador to Seychelles, Martha Hernández Caneiro.At the end of the official meeting, three agreements were signed to promote the development of political-diplomatic ties and cooperation between the two countries in the areas of criminal justice, environment and academic-diplomatic training.The instruments were signed by the Seychelles Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Sylvestre Radegonde, and by Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, and Doctor of Science Eduardo Martinez Diaz, Minister of Science, Technology and Environment.Cuba and Seychelles have long-standing diplomatic relations, established on April 12, 1978, based on friendship, solidarity and cooperation for several decades in the areas of health and human resources training. Around 80 Seychellois citizens have studied in the Antillean island.