By Balford Henry
Wednesday, December 17, 2014 | 4:33 PM
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Ed Bartlett, this afternoon welcomed announcement of a resumption in diplomatic relations between the governments of the United States and Cuba.
Bartlett, in a release on the development, described it as “an epochal moment in Caribbean political history and diplomatic relations.”
“We are truly delighted as, on both sides of the governmental aisle, we have been united on the principle of the removal of the embargo, which has been seen as unfair and unjust,” he said.
He added that the Opposition also took particular note of US president Barack Obama’s description of the shift in policy, as the “most significant change” in his country’s foreign policy in more than fifty years.
“Jamaica has been at the centre of this matter within the Caribbean, and we note that this has significant implications, as it signals the normalisation of diplomatic relations within the region, as well as the normalization of relations between two of our most important friends and neighbours,” he stated.
In closing, Bartlett said that, given that the USA is Jamaica’s largest trading partner, and Cuba its closest neighbour, there will clearly be new opportunities for discussions on trade and also deeper economic collaboration between Jamaica Cuba and the USA.
“We look forward for discussions on this co-operation particularly in the areas of tourism and the development of our logistics hub capabilities, and we encourage continued steps towards the full removal of the trade embargo which will certainly unlock the gates to free trade among the Americas,” Bartlett told the Observer,
US President Barack Obama announced today that the United States would restore diplomatic relations it severed with Cuba more than 50 years ago.
After 18 months of secret talks facilitated by the Vatican and Canada, Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro agreed by phone on Tuesday on a prisoner exchange and the opening of embassies in each other’s countries.
In a television speech on Wednesday, Obama announced the end of what he called a rigid and outdated policy of isolating Cuba that had been ineffective in achieving change on the island.
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Opposition welcomes shift in US foreign policy on Cuba
