HAVANA: Although Barbados does business with Cuba, this country needs to quickly intensify its thrust to do even more business with that Caribbean island, which is at the stage of opening up to the rest of the world. Long isolated because of a United States economic embargo that dates back to the 1960s, Cuba is gradually assuming significant importance to countries that had previously given it a wide berth. Even the United States, which in the 1960s broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba, is getting ready to change that policy having agreed with the island’s government to reopen diplomatic ties sooner rather than later.
Certainly other countries will want to have closer contacts with Cuba and that is why Barbados has to be right there to expand on what already exists in terms of commercial contacts. This point was made by Barbados’ Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Maxine McClean when she spoke at a half day forum sponsored by the Barbados Private Sector Trade Team earlier this month.
According to press reports, Senator McClean said that with the pending ease to the embargo Barbados must be prepared to take bold steps and creative initiatives to do more business with Cuba. Since it is well known that the system of government in Cuba is quite different to what we are accustomed in Barbados and across the eastern Caribbean, then we have to be very meticulous and persistent in going after the anticipated gains from those relationships with that island.
Cuba has a state-controlled economy, its institutions are state-controlled and run. There are two currencies in existence and it usually takes a longer time to get things done. That is the system in Cuba and it will take time to make progress as was pointed out by the representative from the Trinidad and Tobago manufacturers Association, who made an input to the forum. So this and other pertinent matters relating to exporting to Cuba were dealt with by a team of personnel, including our own Diplomat in Havana, Ms. Donna Forde.
Barbados/Cuba ties, as explained by Senator McClean, were intensified in 1972. On that occasion the then Barbados Prime Minister, Errol Barrow and his counterparts, Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Michael Manley of Jamaica and Dr. Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago, took a bold step in establishing relations with Cuba. It was bold because it has occurred at the time of the cold war when the two Superpowers – the United States and the Soviet Union – were locked in tense rivalry. Cuba had close relations with the Soviet Union.
Both Barbados and Cuba have come a long way and it is hoped that those ties will further mushroom.
