DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                                        2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                                                     Tel. No. 834-4000 
SFA-AGR-548-06                                                                                                                                                                                                                             28 June 2006

AMBASSADOR REYES VOWS TO STRENGTHEN RP-CUBA TIES AS HE PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO CUBAN VICE PRESIDENT 

28 June 2006 – Philippine Ambassador to Havana George B. Reyes reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that he presented his credentials to Cuban Vice President Juan Almeida Bosque in simple ceremonies on 27 June 2006  at the Palacio de la Revolucion in Havana, Cuba. 

During the audience granted by the vice president who represented President Fidel Castro, the Ambassador Reyes conveyed the greetings of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to President Castro and Vice President Almeida and said “he would exert his best to contribute to strengthening RP-Cuban relations, particularly in the fields of technology, sports and cultural cooperation.” 

The vice president commented that "Cuba and the Philippines are island countries" that were lost by Spain at the same time. Ambassador Reyes responded by saying  that "because of historical and geographical similarities, the two countries can understand each other better." 

Vice President Almeida said that Cuba looks forward to the participation of a high level Philippine delegation at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit scheduled in Havana this coming September. 

Accompanied by Ms. Maria Jesus Cabal Garcia and Ms. Lovelia Laping, Third Secretary and Vice Consul, the envoy laid a wreath at the memorial to Jose Marti, the Cuban national hero who was the ideologue of the Cuban Revolution in the late 1900s. 

Ambassador Reyes, who will also be accredited as non-resident ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica, hosted a small vin d'honneur at the Club Habana after the ceremonies. END

/gary