Jamaican Foreign Minister Rebuffs Extraterritorial Laws

Jamaica´s Foreign Affairs Minister Keith Desmond Knight stressed in Havana his country´s tough stance against extraterritorial laws in a clear-cut reference to the U.S. embargo on Cuba.

Quite recently, the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush threatened to impose sanctions against execs from Jamaica-based hotel company SuperClubs for their operations in Cuba. Eventually, the company decided to pull up stakes from three of its resorts on the island nation.

In a meeting with his Cuban counterpart, Felipe Perez Roque, Mr. Knight iterated the Jamaican government´s intentions to further strengthen the traditional ties between the two countries.

For his part, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque acknowledged Mr. Knight´s presence in Havana as a token of friendship and support in the face of heightened Washington-imposed sanctions against the island.

The Jamaican Foreign Minister and his entourage wrapped up Wednesday an official visit to Havana. Jamaica´s Undersecretary for Bilateral and Regional Relations, Peter Black, and Chargé d´ Affairs to Cuba, Dale Robinson, were also part of the official delegation.

Cuba and Jamaica established diplomatic relations in 1903 and opened embassies on both islands back in 1972. Ties between the two countries have increased ever since in such key areas as healthcare, culture, scientific research and tourism.