08 Feb 2016

Botswana and Cuba have over the years, enjoyed excellent bilateral relations anchored on a strong foundation of mutual trust and respect for sovereign equality of each state.

That was said by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Slumber Tsogwane, in his remarks on behalf of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi at the Cuban National Day cocktail party on Friday.

The cocktail party was held to mark 'two auspicious occasions that marked the 57^th Anniversary of the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution and the 39^th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Botswana and Cuba.”

Mr Tsogwane noted that Botswana and Cuba had come a long way and thus it was befitting that they joined forces to nurture the relationship and in the process transform collaboration into an enduring partnership for posterity.

Cuba, he said remained a very strategic and important development partner to Botswana, and it had over the years immensely contributed to the country’s development in many fields, particularly the areas of health, sport and human resources development. 

He also indicated that due to the benevolence of Cuban government, Botswana had made significant progress in her efforts to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic with invaluable contribution from the Cuban medical volunteers.

Further, he said Botswana had a sizeable number of qualified personnel in many fields including sport stemming from collaboration with the Cuban people.

“Thus Botswana remains indebted to the government and people of Cuba for this invaluable support and hope that the scope our collaboration would be broadened to cover other critical sectors of the economy for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” he said.

On the other hand, Cuban Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Juan Carlos Arencibia Corrales said Botswana and Cuba had enjoyed excellent levels of bilateral cooperation in different sectors for over three decades.

Such sectors, Mr Arencibia Corrales said included heath, education and sport as well as exchange of reciprocal support in the multilateral field at the United Nations, the Movement of   Non-Aligned countries, the Group of 77, among other important international organisations and consultation forums.

Currently, he said there were 87 Cuban health professionals working in Botswana and in the near future another group of volunteers was supposed to arrive in the country in order to complete the agreed amount of 102. In the education sector, he said along the years, Botswana had also been receiving scholarships for different careers, including medicine. He indicated that currently, more than 30 Batswana students were studying in Cuba and several of them had already graduated. Ends