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| (L-R) Cuban Ambassador to St Kitts and Nevis Excellency Mrs Ana Maria Gonzalez in discussion with Premier of Nevis Hon Vance Amory. |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (February 2, 2006) -- Cuban Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis Excellency Mrs Ana Maria Gonzalez paid a courtesy call on Premier of Nevis Hon Vance Amory, Deputy Governor General Mr Eustace John and other members of the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) on Thursday, during her premier visit to the island since taking up her recent appointment in Basseterre.
Ambassador Gonzales, the second Cuban Ambassador to St Kitts and Nevis said her brief visit to Nevis was to meet with the government officials and to familiarise herself with the island and its people.
Premier Amory welcomed the Ambassador to Nevis while at his Bath Hotel office and extended greetings on behalf of the people of Nevis. He said NIA would continue to work with the Embassy to strengthen relations with St. Kitts and Nevis.
In a brief interview Ambassador Gonzales said it was the intension of the Cuban government to strengthen the relationship between both countries and to develop the collaboration in fields of mutual interest not only in education and health but also in agriculture, culture, tourism and in other areas of mutual interest to both St. Kitts and Nevis and Cuba.
She said Cuba was already involved in a Caribbean wide health programme in collaboration with the Venezuelan government in which over 300 persons from St. Kitts and Nevis had benefited.
"We have done operations on more than 300 people from the two islands and we are happy that next month we will finalise and operate on the rest of the people that have these eye problems. In the Caribbean more than 11,000 people have already gone to Cuba. We have operated on 10,500 citizens of the whole Caribbean," she said.
Ambassador Gonzales took the opportunity to urge Nevisians to take advantage of the eye care programme, "Nevisian people they can also take advantage of this programme it's all free&and of course we are willing to accept any interest from the Nevisian side."
The Cuban Embassy was established in St. Kitts and Nevis five years ago and Ambassador Gonzales is the first female ambassador to be appointed to serve there.
