Tshireletso Motlogelwa
13 November 2007
Botswana has been applauded for supporting the fight against the long-time US embargo on Cuba.
Cuban ambassador Jorge Luis Lopez Tormo praised Botswana last Friday for voting with his country at the UN to oppose the embargo. Lopez Tormo is the Cuban ambassador to Botswana. He said he is happy that his country can always count on the support of Botswana at the UN on the contentious embargo that has been at the heart of US-Cuba relations for decades. The UN General Assembly recently passed another resolution calling for the suspension of the economic, financial and commercial embargo imposed by the US on Cuba. Lopez Tormo said that Botswana and Cuba's relations have been flourishing for the last three decades with cooperation covering a diversity of areas. "During the past 30 years, Botswana and Cuba have signed up a total of 17 cooperation agreements in areas such as scientific and technical, education, health, sport and trade, among others" he said. He singled out cooperation in the health sector as a good example of the success of the bilateral relations between the two countries. The envoy was speaking in Gaborone at a function to mark the 30th anniversary of the Cuban-Botswana bilateral relationship.
Speaking at the same function, the Minister of Justice Defence and Security, Phandu Skelemani expressed gratitude to the Cuban government for helping Botswana. "Botswana has benefited from professional and expert services provided by the government of Cuba covering a wide range of disciplines, including the medical field, sports and human resource development," he said.
"Turning to our cooperation in the health sector, Botswana also appreciates the generous support it has received in its fight against the HIV/AIDS scourge. We greatly appreciate the decision by President Fidel Castro to send 100 Cuba doctors to assist in this fight," said Skelemani.
He added that the success of Botswana in sports such as athletics, boxing and volleyball could be attributed to the good training Batswana sportspeople have received in Cuba.
The function was attended by cabinet ministers, MPs, senior government officials and Cuban citizens in Botswana.
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