|
XIII Alba-TCP Summit
Strengthening our unity
Leaders of delegations attending the
Summit emphasized, in all of their remarks, the
accomplishments achieved by the alliance during the
10 years of its existence, including Operation
Miracle and literacy efforts which have allowed five
million citizens to learn to read and write
Leticia Martínez
Hernández Yaima Puig Meneses |
internet@granma.cu
Estudio Revolución
Heads of state and government, meeting in Havana
Sunday, December 14, reaffirmed the principles of
solidarity, genuine cooperation and complementarity
shared by the countries which comprise the
Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our
America-Peoples Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP).
Precisely 10 years ago, also in the Cuban capital,
this pro-integration mechanism was founded, on the
initiative of Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz
and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez Frías, whose
legacies of great importance to present and future
generations were emphasized during the XIII Summit.
Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz described the
discussion as productive, and commented that very
interesting ideas had been presented, reflecting the
concrete results of the gathering.
He
called for continuing to strengthen joint political
work, unity, and cooperation in all spheres, among
nations participating in Alba-TCP, CELAC, CARICOM,
UNASUR and MERCOSUR.
The
Cuban President emphasized the importance of
establishing concrete, realistic goals for the
future, while defining and agreeing upon attainable
efforts, which strengthen the complementarity of
Alba countries’ economies, based on principles of
rational, efficient use of resources.
He
said that work must be done to make more visible the
undeniable accomplishments of Alba-TCP, and
disseminate the advantages of the integration model
which the alliance proposes and defends. A concrete
example of what can be done together, he recalled,
was the agreement adopted at the Special Summit on
Ebola, and subsequent joint efforts.
Raúl
reiterated the comments he made, during last week’s
CARICOM-Cuba Summit, thanking the Panamanian
government for its invitation to the upcoming Summit
of the Americas, and expressed Cuba’s willingness to
participate as an equal, without pre-conditions,
reaffirming that this does not in any way imply a
return to the Organization of American States
(OAS).
The
first decision made at the XIII Alba-TCP Summit was
to formalize the incorporation of Grenada and St.
Kitts and Nevis as members of the alliance, whose
contributions, Raúl affirmed, will support the
development and consolidation of efforts to promote
integration being made by the group, which
additionally includes Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua,
Bolivia, Ecuador, Dominica, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda and St. Lucia.
Leaders of delegations attending the Summit
emphasized, in all of their remarks, the
accomplishments achieved by the alliance during the
10 years of its existence. Cited were Operation
Miracle, through which some three million Latin
Americans and Caribbeans have recovered their sight;
national genetic and psycho-social studies of the
disabled; literacy campaigns which have allowed some
five million citizens to learn to read and write;
and the training of thousands of doctors. Also
recalled was significant progress in the financial
arena including the creation of the Unified System
of Regional Compensation (SUCRE) and the Alba Bank.
Participants agreed that while much has been
accomplished, many challenges remain, which require
the further perfecting of current collaborative
programs in all areas.
During the discussion, strong support for Venezuela
was reaffirmed, and sanctions against the Bolivarian
Republic approved by the U.S. Congress were
forcefully condemned.
Alba leaders once again demanded
a change in U.S. policy toward Cuba; an immediate
end to the blockade and subversive intervention; the
removal of Cuba from the arbitrary, absurd list of
state sponsors of international terrorism; as well
as the release of the three Cuban anti-terrorists
who remain unjustly held in U.S. prisons.
|
