Monday, October 10, 2005

COOPERATION AND SOLIDARITY


A Venezuelan delegation is carrying out a working visit in the Saharawi Republic (Western Sahara), in the context of bi-lateral agreements signed in October 2004. The delegation led by the general director of the administrative management of the Ministry for Health, Dr Alberto Randon, will evaluate needs in the areas of health and training. "I come bearing a message of support and solidarity from the President Hugo Chavez and all the people in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the Saharawi people and their heroic struggle for self-determination and independence", Randon declared during a reception.

It was a year ago that Venezuela announced its plans to cooperate with Cuba to provide humanitarian aid for the people of the Western Sahara. "Venezuela and Cuba will join forces to give humanitarian aid to the Saharan Republic ... Spain, too," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jesus Perez said in October 2004.

At that time Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said, "We strongly support Saharawi people's struggle for their self-determination and dignity." Chavez made the statement during a meeting on his plane with a delegation of Saharawi ministers of state. Chavez reaffirmed the commitment of his Government to back Saharawi people's struggle against the foreign occupation and for a full exercise of their legitimate rights to self-determination and independence, before declaring the signing of accords of cooperation between the two Governments, Saharawi and Venezuelan.

In a speech last week at the United Nations Cuban alternate permanent representative to the UN, Ileana Nuñez expressed concern for the paralysis of the process for the Western Sahara region, and said that Cuba supports creation of a referendum to find an honorable solution to the Saharan situation, including the right of the Saharan people’s self-determination in the solution of their case. Sources: All Africa, SPS, Western Sahara Referendum Support Association, Prensa Latina, Alert Net

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