JAMAICA and Cuba have agreed to collaborate in the areas of agriculture, health, tourism, water resources and housing, Prime Minister Bruce Golding told reporters in Kingston yesterday.

The prime minister, who was speaking at a press conference at the Norman Manley International Airport, shortly after he and members of his team arrived from an official visit to Cuba, said frameworks in the respective areas will require follow-up work on both sides to hammer out the finer details.

He said, however, that in the area of agriculture, Christopher Tufton, Jamaica's agriculture minister, had already held discussions with his Cuban counterpart and looked at some of the agricultural projects which can be replicated in Jamaica. The discussions, Golding said, also included the significant levels of technical assistance Cuba was willing to provide, particularly in the area of greenhouse technology and ways of enhancing its effectiveness here in Jamaica.

In addition, Tufton is also negotiating for Cuban extension officers to be sent to assist farmers in Jamaica.

On the issue of health, the prime minister said Health Minister Ruddy Spencer would be returning to Cuba with a technical team from his ministry to look at the expansion of health services offered to Jamaicans by the Cubans.

The prime minister said while he was not prepared to discuss the details of that arrangement just yet, it would seek to address two critical areas of health provision.

On tourism, Golding said Jamaica was seeking to return assistance to Cuba through the area of tourism collaboration which would result in multiple destination promotion by both countries.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett told the Observer he would be providing further details on this arrangement when he speaks in the sectoral debate in Parliament next week.

Meanwhile, the water and housing minister, Horace Chang, signed off on two memorandum of understanding to address the issue of water resource management and the provision of shelter in squatter settlements.

However, even as Golding made the announcement about the partnership in the five areas, he gave a commitment to encourage the American Government to pursue a path of constructive engagement with the Cuban Government similar to what has been adapted with communist China and Vietnam.

He said the US was prepared to engage constructively with China and Vietnam and the time has come for constructive engagement with Cuba.

"We gave them (Cuban Government) an assurance that not only would we continue to support that view, but that we would use whatever influence we have, however limited, to seek to encourage and influence the thinking of the US Government towards a different approach to Cuba," Golding said.

He said there were clear signs that Cuba was moving on a path of reform since Raul Castro assumed presidency. "Some very significant initiative has been taken and we believe it is something that ought to be encouraged," said Golding.

The fear factor

Feeding the multitude

DANGEROUS PETS