Cuba
The final item of business today is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-02573, in the name of Elaine Smith, on the beyond the frame Cuban art exhibition. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes the Cuban art exhibition, Beyond the Frame, which is scheduled to be held at The Lighthouse in Glasgow from 7 to 13 May 2012; understands that this will be the first time that such a large exhibition of contemporary Cuban art will be shown in Scotland and that some of the exhibits are also expected to be displayed in the Parliament; understands that all of the exhibition’s proceeds will go to the campaign for justice for the so-called Miami Five, a group of Cuban citizens that have been imprisoned in the United States since 1998 and for whom Amnesty International has raised serious doubts about the fairness of the proceedings that led to their convictions; recognises that the city of Glasgow is twinned with Havana and notes that a number of bars in Coatbridge have achieved “Cuban-friendly” status by offering their customers the opportunity to buy Havana Club rum, which, it understands, helps boost Cuba’s economy; believes that, given the 50-year economic blockade of Cuba by the United States, this is particularly important; understands that there is almost universal opposition to the blockade by the international community and that it is considered to have a severe impact on the living standards of the people of Cuba; wishes the organisers of the exhibition every success, and hopes that it will lead to more cultural, economic and political cooperation between Scotland and Cuba.
17:02
I thank the members who signed the motion and those who have stayed behind to take part in the debate this evening.
This is the first debate about Cuba in the Scottish Parliament, and as convener of the cross-party group on Cuba, I am delighted that important guests have joined us in the gallery tonight—the Cuban ambassador, Her Excellency Esther Armenteros, and two Cuban family members of the Miami five: Antonio Guerrero, who is the son of Antonio, and Rosa Aurora Freijanes, who is Fernando’s wife. We are also joined by members of the Scottish Cuba solidarity campaign, including Kath Campbell.
I take this opportunity to personally pay tribute to John McAllion, who set up the cross-party group on Cuba in 1999. I took over as its convener in 2003.
The motion was inspired by the beyond the frame art exhibition at the Lighthouse in Glasgow, which will be on until 13 May. The person who made sure that it happened in Glasgow is Jan Pietrasik, and I pay tribute to Jan for that. I attended the opening last night, and the exhibition contains some amazing works of Cuban art by acclaimed Cuban artists as well as works donated by 20 celebrated artists who are mainly based in the United Kingdom. Again, one of the artists is with us this evening—Lesbia Vent Dumois.
The exhibition also features art by two of the Miami five, Antonio Guerrero and Gerardo Hernández. Last week, I had the privilege of hosting some of that work in the Scottish Parliament’s garden lobby to help to raise awareness among MSPs and staff. Proceeds from the exhibition will go to support the campaign to free the Miami five.
Before giving a short explanation of the plight of the five, I will quote the words of their families from the brochure:
“The project will reach out to new people in Europe who will be able to see first-hand the tremendous determination that all Cubans have to achieve the return of our 5 heroes. It will help again to break the media silence that we have suffered over the years with our just fight.”
The Miami five are serving long prison sentences in the USA having been arrested while trying to gather information on Miami-based groups that are responsible for terrorist attacks against the Cuban people. The attacks have caused hundreds of deaths and included a 1990s bombing campaign in Havana hotels and clubs aimed at stopping the flourishing holiday industry. At the time of the trial, lawyers made the point, albeit unsuccessfully, that a fair trial in the toxic anti-Castro setting of Miami was impossible.
The case of the Miami five is a terrible miscarriage of justice that reflects badly on the United States. Innocent men are being used as pawns in a political game. Amnesty International recently produced a report on the unsafe convictions of the Miami five that shows that the injustice extends to the refusal of visas, contrary to human rights, for some wives and children to visit their loved ones.
This miscarriage of justice should be set against the scene of the 50-year economic blockade of Cuba by the USA. The progressive revolution in Cuba, led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, swept to power in 1959 on a wave of popular support, overthrowing the previous barbaric regime under Batista. Prior to the revolution, Cuba was a playground for America’s rich elite and gangsters; meanwhile, the island’s people were desperately poor. Three years later, in 1962, the USA imposed an economic blockade that has, in the 50 years since, tried to strangle socialism in Cuba—tried but failed. The embargo has, though, affected the normal functioning of the Cuban economy and has cruelly impacted on its citizens by banning imports and exports between the US and Cuba. It also impacts on other countries—extraterritorial powers can extend to fines on banks and businesses that trade with Cuba.
I believe that that is something that the Scottish Government could look into. Indeed, I found out last night that a Scottish business has had its transactions with Cuba, which is its main market, stopped by its bank, the Royal Bank of Scotland.
It is ironic that in the land of the free US citizens are barred from travelling to Cuba. It really is time that the embargo, which is a cold war relic, was consigned to the dustbin of history. It is illegal and inhumane and has been condemned by the United Nations General Assembly for the past 20 years. Last year, of 188 countries, only two disagreed with that: the USA and Israel. However, ordinary US citizens do not disagree with it, because earlier this year an Angus Reid Public Opinion poll found that 51 per cent of Americans would lift the trade embargo and 62 per cent want to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba.
It is unbelievable that the USA should keep up its obsession with Cuba when it does not do so with other countries with which it has fought vicious wars. Indeed, Wayne Smith, former diplomat and head of the US special interests section in Havana under President Carter, recently wrote:
“U.S. policy toward Cuba is irrational and inconsistent with what it does elsewhere. We have normal diplomatic and trade relations with China, and even with Vietnam, with which we fought a bitter and bloody war, but not with Cuba.”
When Fidel Castro was in New York in 1995 for the UN 50th anniversary celebrations, he asked:
“How much longer must we wait for a world without ... cruel blockades that kill men, women, children and the old like silent atomic bombs”.
By punishing ordinary people, the USA has hoped for 50 years to overthrow the Government of Cuba, but it quite simply has not worked. Despite the blockade, US hostility and being a third-world country, Cuba has flourished, particularly in the fields of education, sustainable development and health, with Cuba exporting its health professionals across Latin America and the developing world. I think that others will touch on those issues, because I do not have time.
I want to make three specific points about Cuban children, as cited in “Cuba, the untold history.” They are that almost 120 million children of primary school age in the world do not go to school—not one of them is Cuban; 250 million children under 13 years in the world are forced to work to survive—not one of them is Cuban; and over 1 million children are forced into child prostitution—not one of them is Cuban.
Here in Scotland we can help the Cubans in the struggle against the blockade, even in small ways. Recently, two premises in Coatbridge—The Mint and Owen’s Bar—committed to being Cuba friendly by supplying Havana Club rum. I hope that others might follow in their footsteps. Last year, the UK Government signed a formal co-operation agreement with Cuba to promote closer dialogue and economic, scientific, technical, educational, cultural and sporting links. Many of those fields are devolved to Scotland and we already have a link with a formal twinning between Glasgow and Havana. It would be fantastic if, this evening, the Scottish Government could commit to looking into having a similar agreement in the devolved areas to inspire more co-operation between our two countries.
We can learn much from Cuba, particularly on education, sustainable development and healthcare, and we can share our good practice. Spain has a formal university exchange with Cuba, and Scotland could easily look at pursuing that.
Unlike other third-world countries, Cuba has no one who is starving, homeless or dying because they cannot afford healthcare. The people there are warm and friendly, which helps to underpin Cuba’s popularity as a holiday destination. The people simply want to assert their right to their sovereignty and to see an end to interference in their affairs by foreign Governments. Cuba shows that another world is possible.
I hope that the debate will help to highlight the case of the Miami five alongside Cuba’s righteous struggle against the US blockade and that it will encourage more Scots to visit Cuba for three good reasons: sun, salsa and socialism. ¡Viva Cuba!
I call Sandra White, who has about four minutes.
17:10
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I thought that I might have a little longer for my speech.
I congratulate Elaine Smith on securing this historic debate and on lodging a motion that encompasses the injustice for the Miami five, who have been imprisoned in America since 1998. Serious doubts and concerns have been expressed around the world about the validity of their convictions. Even Jimmy Carter has said:
“I believe that the detention of the Cuban Five makes no sense, there have been doubts expressed in U.S. courts and by human rights organizations around the world ... I hope that in the near future they will be freed to return to their homes.”
Many in the Parliament and beyond echo that sentiment.
I welcome to the Parliament the Cuban ambassador, the families of the Miami five and the others who are present. I know that the ambassador received a warm welcome this morning in Glasgow, my home town, when she was in Glasgow city chambers, which are in my Glasgow Kelvin constituency. I look forward to meeting her later with the cross-party group on Cuba.
I congratulate all those who were involved in organising the beyond the frame art exhibition in the Lighthouse in Glasgow, which is the first such exhibition in Scotland. From what I have heard, it has been a great success.
I will concentrate on two elements of the motion: the blockade and the cultural, economic and political co-operation between Scotland and Cuba. Elaine Smith described well the blockade and the history of the Miami five.
My husband and I visited Cuba a couple of years ago—in case any press are here, I say that it was a holiday and not a freebie. I was most impressed by the vitality of the people and the resilience that they showed through the blockade by America.
We must be honest about the fact that the blockade obviously affects Cuba’s economy. However, as I toured the educational establishments, including universities and colleges, and visited hospitals—the service there is excellent, particularly in the eye hospitals, which are renowned around the world—I was impressed by the facilities. As Elaine Smith said, Cuba is a world leader in its health service and its education establishments. We can all learn from that and we must tell the rest of the world that the blockade is absolutely insane, not just for Cuba but for the rest of the world and America in particular.
I spoke to many officials in Cuba, who took me on tours of official establishments while my husband enjoyed the sun, sea and salsa. I was struck by the fact that, although Miami is only a couple of miles from Cuba, people in Cuba must get dried milk from Australia. That is unbelievable. People must take it on board that the blockade can go on no longer. Everyone must listen to that and ensure that America listens to that.
When I was a member of the European and External Relations Committee, I raised the issue of cultural links with Mike Russell, who was the responsible minister at the time. He did not give a guarantee—I spoke to him about it this afternoon—but he said that he would welcome the idea of looking at Latin American and South American countries. We should look at having links with Cuba. We have the China plan and the North America plan, so why cannot we have a South America plan that covers not just Cuba but Venezuela and other countries in that area?
We can learn a lot from the people of Cuba. Their vitality and what they do to deal with the blockade from America are awe-inspiring, and I take my hat off to them. I would salsa if it was allowed in the chamber—I may salsa later on with the Cuban ambassador and others.
This is the first debate about Cuba in the Parliament and Scotland in particular should look towards having cultural and economic links with Cuba, to show the rest of the world that we can be world leaders as well and to help the fantastic people of Cuba.
17:15
Patricia Ferguson, Scottish Labour’s spokesperson on culture and external affairs, has asked me to pass on her apologies. She hoped to take part in the debate, but unfortunately she must attend to an urgent constituency matter.
I am grateful to speak in this important debate and I join Sandra White—and others, I am sure, as the debate continues—in congratulating Elaine Smith on securing it. It is the first opportunity that this Parliament has had to debate the broader subject of the United Kingdom’s relationship with the Republic of Cuba, and the Cuban revolution.
To focus on the beyond the frame exhibition that has opened in Glasgow, members had the opportunity to view some of the pieces on display when Elaine Smith kindly organised an exhibition space in the Scottish Parliament last week. I hope that the exhibition, which has been given considerable support by the Scottish trade union movement and by Glasgow City Council, is a considerable success.
Glasgow has a vibrant and exciting art scene. It is also a very political city, as I was reminded on Sunday when we celebrated May day—international workers day. The combination of art and politics is therefore not an unusual one for Glaswegians.
Glasgow is also a friend of the Cuban people. While Alex Mosson was Lord Provost of Glasgow he was instrumental in signing the Glasgow-Havana partnership, which formally twinned the Clydeside to the Caribbean in 2002. I understand that when Alex Mosson shook hands with one Raul Castro to symbolise that agreement, the heavens opened and the Cubans were treated to a good west coast downpour. It was fitting that at that time Glasgow also played host to a festival that celebrated not just Cuban art, but Cuban music. I am sure—and I am sure that Elaine Smith is too, given her reference to it earlier—that Havana Club rum was also enjoyed by many Glaswegians on that occasion and in that celebration.
Cuba is a huge country that is much bigger than Britain, but it has a population of just 11 million. The revolution has led to steps forward that socialists on these islands would wish to highlight, such as the high standards of Cuba’s universal healthcare system and its long-standing position as one of the world’s most generous givers of international aid, despite its comparative position as a poor country.
The Presiding Officer will be aware that the Cuban people are not able to enjoy the best of relations with all their neighbours, not least because of the hostility to the revolution that still exists in the United States.
I had the privilege of hearing Rosa Aurora, the wife of one of the Miami five, speak at the Glasgow May day rally. I note the statement that was provided by Amnesty International yesterday. Of course, Amnesty is not an organisation that has been uncritical of Cuba, and it has raised concerns about human rights, which I would certainly wish to see upheld in Cuba as in any country—that applies just as much to the United States in relation to the Miami five. I associate myself with Amnesty’s comments that the men’s trial was unfair, and I very much hope that the United States will change its policy in relation to Cuba by ending the blockade, and that friendly relations, such as those that the United Kingdom has enjoyed with the island, can come about.
In August 2011, the United Kingdom signed a bilateral agreement with Cuba that sought to foster closer relations and partnerships, including in the cultural arena. The Minister for Parliamentary Business and Chief Whip will be aware that I asked the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs in written questions about what the Scottish Government was doing to improve its relationship and to contribute to the United Kingdom’s policy of partnership at that time. I was disappointed by the cabinet secretary’s answer, which suggested that improving links with Cuba, despite the Glasgow-Havana link, was not a priority.
I hope that when he winds up, the minister will say a little more about what can be done as a result of the debate and the important visit by Her Excellency the Cuban ambassador to extend a hand of friendship from the Parliament across the Atlantic.
17:19
I, too, congratulate Elaine Smith on securing tonight’s debate and welcome the Cuban representatives who have travelled to watch the debate—particularly the family members of those who are imprisoned.
As a confirmed philistine, I hope that I will be forgiven for not focusing on the beyond the frame exhibition so much as on the campaign behind it and other matters that are referred to in the motion. I wish those who are organising the exhibition well and hope that many people visit it in Glasgow. I hope that it will be successful in raising awareness of the Miami five and will contribute positively to securing their release after 13 long years in captivity as what any reasonable person would define as, in essence, political prisoners.
I suspect that the perspective of some on the imprisonment of these men is bound up with their wider political views and stance on Cuba more generally. I am not entirely uncritical of Cuba and the Cuban revolution. Huge social and economic achievements were made, but Cuba needs to do rather more to liberalise its political process—I say that as someone who admires many of Cuba’s achievements. It would be unfortunate if the issue were to be viewed through a political prism because, although it is bound up in politics, it should be viewed more specifically as a lack of justice.
Elaine Smith reasonably set out what the Miami five have been imprisoned for. They were charged with being unregistered agents of a foreign Government and with conspiracy to gather and transmit national defence information. They were sentenced in December 2001 to prison terms ranging from 15 years to life for those charges. Amnesty International has pointed out that no evidence was presented against them at trial to show that the accused had handled or transmitted a single classified document or piece of information. It has since emerged—this is part of an on-going appeal for one of those who is imprisoned—that the United States Government secretly paid journalists to write prejudicial articles in the media at the time of the trial, thereby undermining the defendants’ due process rights. Amnesty International has also set out its concerns about the location of the trial—Miami—not being conducive to a fair trial and about the fact that the defence attorneys were not allowed proper access to their clients or all the evidence that was to be presented.
As far as I am aware, the Miami five do not deny that they were unregistered agents of the Cuban Government, but one would have expected that to have resulted in their expulsion from America, not their imprisonment. They vehemently deny the other serious charges against them of which they were—dubiously, I think—found guilty. They contend that they were in the United States to monitor hostile Cuban groups that were complicit in acts of terrorism against Cuba. That raises the question of what evidence there is of terrorism against Cuba. Sadly, in the years leading up to the men’s imprisonment, particularly in the year before their arrest, there was plenty of evidence of attempts at terrorism. The US authorities were involved in seizing that evidence, but that did not result in any charges or imprisonment for those who were involved. Indeed, in the year before, there had been explosions on Cuban soil.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that the Cuban Government had reason to be concerned about acts of terrorism being perpetrated against it, and it is clear that any claim by the Miami five that they had been monitoring terrorist activities should have been taken seriously. Undoubtedly, the fact that it was not taken seriously was born of the unfortunate continuing American suspicion of Cuba, to which other members have referred. I hope that, one day soon, that suspicion will be consigned to the dustbin of history.
17:24
I, too, thank Elaine Smith for giving the Parliament the opportunity to put on record our views about two important issues. The first of those is the plight of the Miami five, which is, as other members have said, a gross miscarriage of justice and a grave injustice. There are so many inconsistencies in the way that the United States is dealing with the Miami five that it is hard to go through them all.
On one level, I can understand that a country would worry about foreign interference in its domestic affairs. However, the United States can hardly say that its hands are clean when it comes to interference in the domestic affairs of other states. We have witnessed that powerful country using its power and influence to defend what it regards as its justifiable interests; we have seen it operating in Pakistan, in Yemen, in Africa, throughout South America and in Asia. It seems acceptable for the United States to operate outwith its boundaries in defence of its national interests yet, when it comes to others who are doing their best to look after the interests of their citizens, the US can behave in an aggressive and unfair way.
Other members outlined more powerfully and eloquently than I can how the trial was conducted and the wide range of people in the US, including former President Carter, who think that the Miami five should be freed. I hope that President Obama, of whom many of us expected so much when he was elected, might use the opportunity when he is re-elected later this year, as I hope that he will be, to reconsider the attitude of the US and to use his power and influence to do the right thing and send a message that the United States will stand on the side of justice and fairness and be seen to be a beacon of hope for others. While President Obama aligns himself with an unjust decision, he demeans not only himself but the United States. It is time to do the right thing.
The wider issue, which Elaine Smith and other members identified, is the attitude of the US to Cuba. The US still tries to strangle and stifle a neighbour that has a record of trying to do its best not just for its own people but for many people throughout the world, even though it has little material wealth. When a country that has so little at its disposal tries to do the right thing for people whom it regards as worse off, by exporting education, medical knowledge and so on, we can only admire its people and their efforts.
The attitude of the United States to Cuba is mean-spirited, inconsistent and irrational. For the sake of humanity, it is time that the United States dropped its prejudice and extended the hand of friendship to people in Cuba, who would be more than willing to work with the US to make a difference not only to that part of the world and to South America generally but internationally. It is time that the United States lived up to what many of us think should be its role on the world stage. I hope that President Obama will at last see the light.
17:28
I am delighted to take part in the first debate on Cuba in the Scottish Parliament.
Last night, the arts community came together to highlight the plight of five Cubans who have been incarcerated in US prisons on trumped-up charges, which, as members said, are an affront to international law and natural justice. It is ironic that the country that is the self-proclaimed leader of the free world and that claims to be at the forefront of the war on terror jailed people whose only crime was to try to prevent terrorism in their homeland.
The US has perpetrated a 50-year-long hostile campaign against Cuba, because of one thing: Cuba offers an alternative route, which is based on equality, humanity and justice. I have witnessed at first hand the application of that philosophy. My first visit to Cuba was as a tourist; my second was as a participant in the annual Cuba cycle challenge, which is organised by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign.
I will tell you something that you already know, Presiding Officer: I am not a natural athlete. Perhaps I am a natural darts and dominoes player, but that is about it. However, I got myself a bit fitter for the journey, and when we cycled the 200 miles through the country, we experienced its sights, sounds and culture. We attended the May day parade in Revolution Square and saw the pride that Cubans have in the achievements of the revolution. Apparently, a million people were there, but I think that every single person in the world was there. I have never seen so many people.
We saw at first hand the emphasis that is placed on the provision of excellent healthcare facilities. At a polyclinic, we saw the full range of services provided locally that we can get in a hospital. People are referred there by their family doctor, who lives in the community that they serve. We also saw the large regional hospitals, which provide specialist services that cannot be provided locally. There are very short waiting times. The wait for major heart surgery, for example, is a maximum of four weeks. I wish that we could achieve such things.
The focus on health undoubtedly produces real results. According to the World Health Organization, life expectancy in Cuba is 75 years for men and 80 years for women. Members should remember that that is in a developing country. Its infant mortality rates are better than those of the US and the UK, and that is achieved on a shoestring budget that is less than a tenth of the UK’s and a twentieth of the US’s budget. Simple, free access to general practitioners is the bedrock of the healthcare system, and there are 14,000 family doctors for the population of 11.2 million. That is a ratio of one family doctor to 785 people. If we include all the doctors in hospitals, colleges and other places, the ratio falls dramatically to one for every 175 people, which is an astonishing figure.
Hugh Henry mentioned internationalism. We must recognise Cuba’s internationalism. Cuba does not export arms; it exports medicines, doctors, nurses and teachers. The operation miracle campaign has improved the sight of people throughout Latin America and beyond by removing their cataracts and healing other eye complaints. Hundreds of thousands of people have benefited from that campaign.
When the catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti, Cubans were the first there. They provided field hospitals, vaccines, emergency shelters and foodstuffs. Cuba sent 6,000 community health professionals to Venezuela and Ecuador to establish clinics in the countryside and the favelas, where healthcare was previously non-existent. After hurricane Katrina, of course, the Government of Fidel and Raul offered medical assistance to the US Government to help with the disaster, but that offer was disgracefully refused by the bigots in the White House, who would rather have seen their people suffer than allow them to be healed by Cuban doctors and nurses.
In education, despite the system being starved of resources because of the blockade, every child gets the same opportunity. Some 99.8 per cent of adults are literate. Higher education is free, and there is one teacher for every nine students in primary schools and one teacher for every 11 students in secondary schools. Perhaps that is a comment on our ambitions for a one to 20 ratio.
We should remember that Cuba is not a wealthy country—indeed, quite the opposite is true. In the early 1990s, it lost almost 90 per cent of its trade with the collapse of the Soviet bloc. Did the Cubans see cuts in their health, education and other vital sectors at that time? The answer is no. They adapted and survived, and introduced many new initiatives and policies along the way, including the organic farming revolution.
In conclusion, how can it be that such a country, which has been under all-out economic attack for 50 years, operates on a shoestring budget, and has had sanctions imposed and tightened time and again, its politicians vilified and numerous attempts on its life, continues to survive and lead? It does so because its priorities are very different from ours.
I call Brian Adam to wind up the debate. Minister, you have around seven minutes.
17:34
I shall endeavour to restrict my comments to that length of time.
Obviously, Fiona Hyslop would normally respond to the debate, but she is elsewhere on behalf of the Government.
I thank Elaine Smith for lodging the motion, and welcome on the Government’s behalf the beyond the frame art exhibition by Cuban artists, which is currently being displayed at the Lighthouse in Glasgow. Some of the work was displayed in the Parliament last week and I know that many members took time out to view the exhibition on their way to and from the chamber.
As members have heard, the exhibition supports the campaign for the Miami five, a group of Cuban citizens imprisoned in 1998. The case is complex and a bilateral matter between the US and Cuba. On the wider issue of global human rights, the Scottish Government recognises that fundamental rights are about more than just criminal procedure. They are about fundamental fairness, which includes the right to fair trial and the right to effective remedy under law. They are also about the treatment of those who lose their liberty, and that not being a licence arbitrarily to deprive those people of further rights. Those are principles that all states around the world should aspire to. The US has been at the forefront of championing them across the world.
It is interesting to note that the Government in Cuba has begun a process of reform, which we very much hope will continue. Both now and in the future, the Scottish Government will promote a positive vision of human rights around the world and raise human rights issues with our international partners when the opportunity presents itself. Domestically, we speak regularly to Amnesty International and we continue to seek its expertise on these matters.
This exhibition is just one example of links between Scotland and Cuba, particularly cultural links. Annually, our festivals invite acts from around the world to perform here. In 2009, we welcomed the Creole Choir of Cuba as part of the Edinburgh international festival. In 2011, Soy de Cuba performed as part of the Edinburgh fringe festival with a display of Cuban music and dance.
As we have already heard, Glasgow is twinned with Havana. I am sure that there are many similarities between the two cities, but one thing I know for sure is that the weather is very different. I was interested to hear of the bars in Coatbridge that have achieved Cuban-friendly status by offering their customers Havana rum. Although I am glad to hear that Scots are contributing to the Cuban economy, I hope that the locals are adhering to the Scottish Government’s advice and drinking sensibly. The process is not just one way: we send them our national drink. In 2011, our whisky exports to Cuba were in excess of £700,000, which was a 15 and a half per cent increase compared with 2010.
There is scope for further connections to be made in other areas. We understand that only a very small number of Cuban students have chosen to study at Scottish universities. We have heard a lot about the Cuban education system and how successful it is at producing graduates—particularly medical graduates—and in sharing that experience elsewhere in the world. Any increase in the number of Cuban students at Scottish universities would be very welcome indeed.
The Scottish Government’s international engagement, however large or small, makes a crucial contribution to our key purpose of increasing sustainable growth. We are ambitious for Scotland, and we will seek opportunities for engagement throughout the world. Latin America is certainly one area in which we will consider opportunities for engagement that will benefit the Scottish economy.
My colleague Fiona Hyslop welcomed the Cuban ambassador to the UK to Scotland in late 2009, and it is a pleasure to see the ambassador in the public gallery today. That meeting was aimed at developing relationships and gaining a better understanding of our respective countries. We hope that the ambassador has enjoyed her visit to the Parliament and will enjoy the event following the debate, which I unfortunately cannot attend. I thank the ambassador very much for attending the debate.
The Cuban minister for energy visited Glasgow in early 2010 and, as a direct result of that visit, Scottish Development International supported an academic mission in travelling to Cuba in October 2010 to look at the potential for assisting in a bioenergy programme. I hope that members will see that the Scottish Government is continuing to consider opportunities for engagement throughout the world as they arise.
I once again thank Elaine Smith for lodging the motion, and I thank members on all sides of the chamber for their positive contributions, particularly in relation to encouraging and growing cultural, educational and economic links between our two countries, which is certainly on the Government’s agenda.
Meeting closed at 17:40.