A team of officials from the Cuban Media and International Relations Department, including Cuban Ambassador Dr. Fajado Marcellino, met with Minister of Information Dr. Edmond Mansoor recently to explore other areas of cooperation between Antigua & Barbuda and Cuba.

A team of officials from the Cuban Media and International Relations Department, including Cuban Ambassador Dr. Fajado Marcellino, met with Minister of Information Dr. Edmond Mansoor recently to explore other areas of cooperation between Antigua & Barbuda and Cuba.

Dr. Mansoor identified one of the areas of cooperation as an exchange of broadcast programmes. In particular, the Spanish news that is carried on ABS Television every Sunday afternoon was identified as an ideal programme to package and send to Cuba for broadcast. It was decided that the signal for this programme could be fed to Cuba via broadband. Mansoor also specified a need for cooperation in the area of technical training for Antiguans and Barbudans.

According to the President of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television, Ernesto Lopez Dominguez, they would be willing to share Cuban news as well as their music along with other relevant programmes with Antigua & Barbuda. He also expressed a desire to receive Antiguan music.

Dominguez’s comments were interpreted by Director of International Relations Miguel Arista Salado Romeu who was accompanied by Alfredo Pereida who is in charge of International Relations in the Caribbean. A meeting has been scheduled with the Cable Companies in Antigua to work out the particulars for programmes to be sent through cable from Cuba for Antiguan viewing.

The Cuban delegates also said they were in favour of having workshops and training programmes in Antigua & Barbuda. Dominguez said they were also willing to allow the use of their satellite TV signal to Antigua for them to choose whatever programmes they wanted.

Dominguez took the opportunity to express his pleasure at being on the island during the 25th anniversary celebrations of Independence. He also brought greetings from the minister of information in Cuba.

Mansoor expressed appreciation on behalf of the government of Antigua for the assistance received from Cuba which has been in the form of technical assistance and support from nurses, doctors and exchange students.

Source: Sun Weekend