Above: the Cuban and Haitian Foreign Ministers signing the agreements (Photo: OP)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti and Cuba signed three technical assistance agreements in a ceremony at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince on Friday.

The agreements are part of a commitment made in Havana during President Michel Martelly’s previous visit to Cuba.

According to numbers from Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, three million Haitians have been consulted by Cuban doctors since the January 2010 earthquake.

The agreements were signed by Parrilla and Haitian Foreign Minister Lauren Lamothe, who is also the country’s Prime Minister-Designate.

In the same period, Cuban doctors have reportedly treated 70,000 cholera patients in Haiti as well.

The deals primarily focuses on the area of health, a frequent point of cooperation between the two countries.

They also involve education, agriculture, and Cuban expertise in helping to repair the equipment of the National Centre for Equipment, the country’s SMCRS waste management company and its company bus.

Martelly thanked the Cuban government for its efforts to “strengthen ties of friendship and solidarity” between the two countries.