homepage_name! > Editions > Number 039 > Interview - Mercedes Martinez Valdes
Interview
H.E. Ms. Mercedes Martinez Valdés, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Serbia
Cuba is the largest and most western island of all isles of Great Antilles. It has a favorable strategic position at Gulf of Mexico entrance, about 140 km away from Florida. Cuba is as large as all other Caribbean islands and it resides 1/3 of entire population of West Indian isles. Climate is warm and mostly rainy, and hurricanes are frequent between June and November.
Cuba is famous for cigars, particularly for brands like Havana, Monte Cristo, Cohiba and Partagas.
It is famous for rum, the most famous brand of which is Havana (Havana Club). If it is at least 7 years old, rum has attribute “old” (añejo). Rum is produced by fermentation of sugar cane juice.
It is famous also for music and rhythms resulting from mixture of many genres, African, Spanish and Latino American, such as mambo, conga, cha-cha-cha, son, nueva trova, habanera danson, and many others.
Cuba is also famous for Argentinean revolutionist Ernesto Guevara, more famous by nickname Che, who fought with Fidel Castro in Cuban revolution, as well as by national sports: baseball. Cubans are also very prominent boxers and athletes.
In area, Cuba is slightly larger than Serbia with population of about 11 million.
About undiscovered secretes of this magic country, we are talking to Her Excellency, Ms. Mercedes Martinez Valdes, Ambassador of Cuba to Serbia.
Your Excellency, how long have you been in the position of Ambassador of Cuba to Serbia and what are your first impressions?
Soon, it will be two years since I have come to Serbia. My impressions, which are not first impressions any longer after two years, are that Serbian people are very hospitable, friendly, patriots, who fight for their wishes for better future, sovereignty, territorial integrity and who do not forget easily own past and history. Your country also has good resources and enviable geographic positions, the qualities that used to and still do arouse envy of many others.
It is an honor for me to represent my country and my people in one country which we are tied to by friendship, solidarity, true relations which, despite geographic remoteness, have survived in difficult times for both countries. I will mention only some of them, like Serbian solidarity during American invasion on Cuba and support of Serbian people during the fight against blockade as well as support from Cubans when NATO bombed Serbia and our support in preserving territorial integrity of Serbia. My impressions of Serbia are real, felt through experience of Cuban diplomat, having development of relations between two nations and two countries as main goal.
What was your diplomatic career like, before your post in Serbia?
I have BA in foreign affairs, and obtained MA at the Faculty of Foreign Affairs of State University in Kiev, Ukraine (1986).
I was an official in the European Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until 1990, when I became 3rd Secretary of Cuban Embassy to USSR and Russia until 1992. Then I become 2nd Secretary at Cuban Embassy to Ukraine and Moldova until 1996. From 1996 to 2000 I worked as the official in European Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2000 to 2002, I was at the position of 1st Secretary of Cuban Embassy to Norway and official in the European Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2002, I became Advisor of Cuban Embassy to Portugal where I stayed until 2006.
After my return to Cuba, from 2006 to 2009, I was the official in European Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affair. As member of Cuban delegations, I participated in different bilateral meetings in Russia, Norway, Portugal and Spain.
I studied at Diplomatic Academy in Moscow in 1989, at the Regional center for foreign languages of Belize University in 2000 and at College for international relations „Raúl Roa García“ in Havana, in different periods.
What is current diplomatic cooperation between Serbia and Cuba like? Could you tell us something about current activities?
Diplomatic relations of two countries are at the good level. We had exchange between Ministries of Foreign Affairs in 2009 when one of our Deputies Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dagoberto Rodriguez, was in Serbia. Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vuk Jeremic visited Cuba last year, and meeting with our minister were held within international events, which they attended together, such as General Meeting of UN and Summit at ministry level of Non-Aligned Movement. We have maintained exchange in important bilateral and international issues, and we support each other regarding issues important for foreign policy as countries with good relations, including support in international authorities for membership, debates, positions, etc.
Since Cuba has been isolated in some way from the rest of the world for decades, you were forced to develop your own educational system which recorded extraordinary, therefore you have more than 50% of young population between 19 to 23 who study. Could you tell us how Cuban educational system works?
Cuba is not isolated, we maintain diplomatic activities with 183 of 192 countries members of UN, we have diplomatic missions, including consulates in 117 countries, and there are 109 foreign diplomatic missions in Havana. We have more than 50 thousand Cuban associates who provide services in 98 countries, 31 thousand foreign students studying in Cuba. Because of that, our educational system is not a product of non-existent isolation but of Revolution which, after victory, implemented, among other measure, literacy campaign, saving from ignorance 44% of population who had never gone to schools before 1959 and more than 400 thousand persons who finished only 6th grade at that time. Revolution provided these people with education and to each of them added the other two who obtained university education and became intellectuals.
National education system consists of general education and university education and both sub-systems are independent regarding authorities, but on the other hand, closely related. Education system is divided into pre-school, elementary, secondary, pre-university, technical and professional, special education of adult, and of course, development of teachers and professors.
Education in Cuba is mandatory until ninth grade of secondary school and is free on all levels, including university education.
One hundred percentage dedication to children with special needs (with physical –motor and mental difficulties) is a great success of education system in the island. There are 13.600 teachers working in 425 special schools, all around the country. Ration in Cuba is one teacher on 42 inhabitants which is one of the best proportions globally. Staying at schools are 99.1%. There are 46 centers of university education in the country.
Cuba spends annually almost 7% of gross domestic product and tries to make educational system, by its equality, justness, self-esteem and moral and social needs of citizens, correspondent to social model created by the people
During recent years, the use of TV and video programs was established, as means with greatly influencing elementary and secondary education. There are two educational channel “Canal Educativo 1 y 2” broadcasting daily more than 12 hours of programs, majority of which having educational and didactical character. This way, we have organized educational system in Cuba, and due to that we have one citizen with university degree on each 10 people, and this year we will probably reach number of one million graduates at more than 60 universities in the country.
Your country is one of two in the world with the most developed biotechnology. What is the most significant, the most important Cuban product? Is it true that you have cure for all tumors as well as prevention?
Today, Cuba has infrastructure with more than 200 centers and research, technological and innovative areas, of which 115 centers for research, development and commercialization. Country allocates one percent of its GDP for science and technology and we have 15 scientists and engineers on 10 thousand people. Singling one particular product out would mean underestimating the work of hundredth of Cuban scientists during many years, under difficult conditions due to limitations imposed by blockade relating to purchase of material necessary for research.
Cuban biotechnology is profitable, sustainable and its results are assessed pursuant to tangible health indicator, comparable to those in developed countries, such as life expectancy of almost 78 years and infant mortality of 4.5 per thousand births in Cuba.
Is it true that the USA have breached embargo by purchasing 1 400 000 doses of breast cancer vaccines from Cuba and that vaccine was tested and registered in France? If so, has any Serbian pharmaceutical company expressed interest in procuring such medicaments since Galenika imported some medicaments from Cuba?
A vaccine against advanced lung cancer, called CIMAVAX - EGF, is the first vaccine of this type registered in the world and on which Cuban biotechnologists have worked for more than 15 years. This product has a special license from the United States Department of the Treasury to be sold in that country by a U.S. company and to conduct appropriate clinical testing.
The vaccine has already been registered or has been in the registration process in China, Peru, Malesia, Columbia, Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, Argentina and other countries. Clinical testing has also been in the process for its application in case of prostate cancer, breast and cervical cancer. Principle of ifs functioning is the use of proteins we all have: epidermal growth factor, related to processes of cell proliferation, which are uncontrollable in patients suffering from cancer.
Registration and testing in France have not been announced yet, the only thing we know is that one important trans-national company from that country has been interested for a while in this product and it commercialization in Western Europe.
There are several Serbian companies interested in this product, but no contracts have been signed so far.
More than 50% of agricultural production in Cuba has been based on the use of biotechnological products. Since EU reached acts on use of chemical-free agricultural products, will that additionally stimulate Europe to improve cooperation with Cuba?
In Cuba, unlike the other countries, there are favorable social circumstances for development of organic production system on the national level and establishment of sustainable agricultural system. Faced with crisis caused in the 90’s of the last century, when we were not able to procure fertilizers due to lack of financial resources, Cuban experts started to apply ecologic agrotechnology, confirming its efficiency in breeding different cultures nowadays, both outdoors and in organoponico (system of city-gardens, typical for Cuba). One of them was Cuban researcher Humberto Rios who won a prize for environment, Goldman, in 2010, which is “green” Nobel prize, for the development of ecological agriculture in our country.
Coffee, cocoa, sugar, citrus, honey as well as medical herbs produced without any fertilizers or other chemicals, having certificate and being accepted by representatives of the Agency for organic products certification have been produced in the isled using these methods. Efficiency of implementation of Cuban bio-fertilizer Fitomas on more than 40 cultures, helping in preventing deficit of plant nutritients and drought effects, excess of moisture or pest attacks has been tested recently.
City agriculture mass movement, meaning use of spaces in densely populated areas using ecologic techniques have been practiced by thousands of people in Cuba, representing at the same time safe source of employment and enabling better use of land for achieving better productivity. Thanks to the efforts of Cuban researchers, organic agriculture has been expanding all over the island and has already had optimal results, satisfying not only national needs but exporting product to certain extent, including export to EU countries. But, as we increase production, we will be able to expand our cooperation to export to other countries, including European ones.
What do you like most in Serbia and what do you miss from Cuba?
As I have already said, I like people in Serbia most. I feel good here, because people are well brought up, they can talk and listen to the others, independently of different experience because they are intelligent – otherwise they would not be main competitors to Cuban students at Math and Physics Olympics, because they are simple, just we the Cubans are, and when they set goals for themselves – they reach those goals. I saw how children at dance schools learn our dances and rhythms easily, or how they learn Spanish by watching Latin American soap operas, how they respect their tradition, including religious customs, like slava, the way they celebrate when Djokovic wins. I like them because they know they are good and they keep on struggling, and even when they lose, as when they lost to Cuban national team in semi-final of World Championship in volleyball last year in Italy. Everything else Serbia has, is subject to personal qualities of people, from scenery of Vojvodina to canyons in Sumadija, because everything has been changed by those people.
I miss lot of things from Cuba; it is my country. I miss spirit and sense of humor of my people, colors and joy and their wish to overcome all difficulties. I miss socializing with my neighbors when, after business hours, if I have forgot to buy salt, I know I can count on their help to prepare launch. I miss parades on May 1st and patriotic fervor in the street, I miss my son and relatives, but people in Serbia have made an effort, although I miss all of these, I do not feel nostalgic, which is another plus for my friends in this country.
How do you spend your spare time?
I got to know Slavic people during my career and adjusted well to their customs and tradition. My profession requires my adjustment to customs in other countries, despite I miss my home country. But, diplomatic life, and particularly ours in Serbia is very active, because we are a small team and because different activities connected to Cuba are organized in this country, not allowing us to have spare time for private life.
Actually, I try to use each visit to theatre, museum, monastery or other institution, where I am on business reasons, to enrich my private life. I would also like to tell you that wherever there is some Cuban cultural event, you can see this Ambassador dancing Cuban son, whether it be some Belgrade café or restaurant or in main street in Smederevska Palanka or in Vozdovac during the Days of Cuba which were held there.
Cuba is famous for cigars, particularly for brands like Havana, Monte Cristo, Cohiba and Partagas.
It is famous for rum, the most famous brand of which is Havana (Havana Club). If it is at least 7 years old, rum has attribute “old” (añejo). Rum is produced by fermentation of sugar cane juice.
It is famous also for music and rhythms resulting from mixture of many genres, African, Spanish and Latino American, such as mambo, conga, cha-cha-cha, son, nueva trova, habanera danson, and many others.
Cuba is also famous for Argentinean revolutionist Ernesto Guevara, more famous by nickname Che, who fought with Fidel Castro in Cuban revolution, as well as by national sports: baseball. Cubans are also very prominent boxers and athletes.
In area, Cuba is slightly larger than Serbia with population of about 11 million.
About undiscovered secretes of this magic country, we are talking to Her Excellency, Ms. Mercedes Martinez Valdes, Ambassador of Cuba to Serbia.
Your Excellency, how long have you been in the position of Ambassador of Cuba to Serbia and what are your first impressions?
Soon, it will be two years since I have come to Serbia. My impressions, which are not first impressions any longer after two years, are that Serbian people are very hospitable, friendly, patriots, who fight for their wishes for better future, sovereignty, territorial integrity and who do not forget easily own past and history. Your country also has good resources and enviable geographic positions, the qualities that used to and still do arouse envy of many others.
It is an honor for me to represent my country and my people in one country which we are tied to by friendship, solidarity, true relations which, despite geographic remoteness, have survived in difficult times for both countries. I will mention only some of them, like Serbian solidarity during American invasion on Cuba and support of Serbian people during the fight against blockade as well as support from Cubans when NATO bombed Serbia and our support in preserving territorial integrity of Serbia. My impressions of Serbia are real, felt through experience of Cuban diplomat, having development of relations between two nations and two countries as main goal.
What was your diplomatic career like, before your post in Serbia?
I have BA in foreign affairs, and obtained MA at the Faculty of Foreign Affairs of State University in Kiev, Ukraine (1986).
I was an official in the European Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until 1990, when I became 3rd Secretary of Cuban Embassy to USSR and Russia until 1992. Then I become 2nd Secretary at Cuban Embassy to Ukraine and Moldova until 1996. From 1996 to 2000 I worked as the official in European Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2000 to 2002, I was at the position of 1st Secretary of Cuban Embassy to Norway and official in the European Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2002, I became Advisor of Cuban Embassy to Portugal where I stayed until 2006.
After my return to Cuba, from 2006 to 2009, I was the official in European Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affair. As member of Cuban delegations, I participated in different bilateral meetings in Russia, Norway, Portugal and Spain.
I studied at Diplomatic Academy in Moscow in 1989, at the Regional center for foreign languages of Belize University in 2000 and at College for international relations „Raúl Roa García“ in Havana, in different periods.
What is current diplomatic cooperation between Serbia and Cuba like? Could you tell us something about current activities?
Diplomatic relations of two countries are at the good level. We had exchange between Ministries of Foreign Affairs in 2009 when one of our Deputies Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dagoberto Rodriguez, was in Serbia. Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vuk Jeremic visited Cuba last year, and meeting with our minister were held within international events, which they attended together, such as General Meeting of UN and Summit at ministry level of Non-Aligned Movement. We have maintained exchange in important bilateral and international issues, and we support each other regarding issues important for foreign policy as countries with good relations, including support in international authorities for membership, debates, positions, etc.
Since Cuba has been isolated in some way from the rest of the world for decades, you were forced to develop your own educational system which recorded extraordinary, therefore you have more than 50% of young population between 19 to 23 who study. Could you tell us how Cuban educational system works?
Cuba is not isolated, we maintain diplomatic activities with 183 of 192 countries members of UN, we have diplomatic missions, including consulates in 117 countries, and there are 109 foreign diplomatic missions in Havana. We have more than 50 thousand Cuban associates who provide services in 98 countries, 31 thousand foreign students studying in Cuba. Because of that, our educational system is not a product of non-existent isolation but of Revolution which, after victory, implemented, among other measure, literacy campaign, saving from ignorance 44% of population who had never gone to schools before 1959 and more than 400 thousand persons who finished only 6th grade at that time. Revolution provided these people with education and to each of them added the other two who obtained university education and became intellectuals.
National education system consists of general education and university education and both sub-systems are independent regarding authorities, but on the other hand, closely related. Education system is divided into pre-school, elementary, secondary, pre-university, technical and professional, special education of adult, and of course, development of teachers and professors.
Education in Cuba is mandatory until ninth grade of secondary school and is free on all levels, including university education.
One hundred percentage dedication to children with special needs (with physical –motor and mental difficulties) is a great success of education system in the island. There are 13.600 teachers working in 425 special schools, all around the country. Ration in Cuba is one teacher on 42 inhabitants which is one of the best proportions globally. Staying at schools are 99.1%. There are 46 centers of university education in the country.
Cuba spends annually almost 7% of gross domestic product and tries to make educational system, by its equality, justness, self-esteem and moral and social needs of citizens, correspondent to social model created by the people
During recent years, the use of TV and video programs was established, as means with greatly influencing elementary and secondary education. There are two educational channel “Canal Educativo 1 y 2” broadcasting daily more than 12 hours of programs, majority of which having educational and didactical character. This way, we have organized educational system in Cuba, and due to that we have one citizen with university degree on each 10 people, and this year we will probably reach number of one million graduates at more than 60 universities in the country.
Your country is one of two in the world with the most developed biotechnology. What is the most significant, the most important Cuban product? Is it true that you have cure for all tumors as well as prevention?
Today, Cuba has infrastructure with more than 200 centers and research, technological and innovative areas, of which 115 centers for research, development and commercialization. Country allocates one percent of its GDP for science and technology and we have 15 scientists and engineers on 10 thousand people. Singling one particular product out would mean underestimating the work of hundredth of Cuban scientists during many years, under difficult conditions due to limitations imposed by blockade relating to purchase of material necessary for research.
Cuban biotechnology is profitable, sustainable and its results are assessed pursuant to tangible health indicator, comparable to those in developed countries, such as life expectancy of almost 78 years and infant mortality of 4.5 per thousand births in Cuba.
Is it true that the USA have breached embargo by purchasing 1 400 000 doses of breast cancer vaccines from Cuba and that vaccine was tested and registered in France? If so, has any Serbian pharmaceutical company expressed interest in procuring such medicaments since Galenika imported some medicaments from Cuba?
A vaccine against advanced lung cancer, called CIMAVAX - EGF, is the first vaccine of this type registered in the world and on which Cuban biotechnologists have worked for more than 15 years. This product has a special license from the United States Department of the Treasury to be sold in that country by a U.S. company and to conduct appropriate clinical testing.
The vaccine has already been registered or has been in the registration process in China, Peru, Malesia, Columbia, Brazil, Paraguay, Ecuador, Argentina and other countries. Clinical testing has also been in the process for its application in case of prostate cancer, breast and cervical cancer. Principle of ifs functioning is the use of proteins we all have: epidermal growth factor, related to processes of cell proliferation, which are uncontrollable in patients suffering from cancer.
Registration and testing in France have not been announced yet, the only thing we know is that one important trans-national company from that country has been interested for a while in this product and it commercialization in Western Europe.
There are several Serbian companies interested in this product, but no contracts have been signed so far.
More than 50% of agricultural production in Cuba has been based on the use of biotechnological products. Since EU reached acts on use of chemical-free agricultural products, will that additionally stimulate Europe to improve cooperation with Cuba?
In Cuba, unlike the other countries, there are favorable social circumstances for development of organic production system on the national level and establishment of sustainable agricultural system. Faced with crisis caused in the 90’s of the last century, when we were not able to procure fertilizers due to lack of financial resources, Cuban experts started to apply ecologic agrotechnology, confirming its efficiency in breeding different cultures nowadays, both outdoors and in organoponico (system of city-gardens, typical for Cuba). One of them was Cuban researcher Humberto Rios who won a prize for environment, Goldman, in 2010, which is “green” Nobel prize, for the development of ecological agriculture in our country.
Coffee, cocoa, sugar, citrus, honey as well as medical herbs produced without any fertilizers or other chemicals, having certificate and being accepted by representatives of the Agency for organic products certification have been produced in the isled using these methods. Efficiency of implementation of Cuban bio-fertilizer Fitomas on more than 40 cultures, helping in preventing deficit of plant nutritients and drought effects, excess of moisture or pest attacks has been tested recently.
City agriculture mass movement, meaning use of spaces in densely populated areas using ecologic techniques have been practiced by thousands of people in Cuba, representing at the same time safe source of employment and enabling better use of land for achieving better productivity. Thanks to the efforts of Cuban researchers, organic agriculture has been expanding all over the island and has already had optimal results, satisfying not only national needs but exporting product to certain extent, including export to EU countries. But, as we increase production, we will be able to expand our cooperation to export to other countries, including European ones.
What do you like most in Serbia and what do you miss from Cuba?
As I have already said, I like people in Serbia most. I feel good here, because people are well brought up, they can talk and listen to the others, independently of different experience because they are intelligent – otherwise they would not be main competitors to Cuban students at Math and Physics Olympics, because they are simple, just we the Cubans are, and when they set goals for themselves – they reach those goals. I saw how children at dance schools learn our dances and rhythms easily, or how they learn Spanish by watching Latin American soap operas, how they respect their tradition, including religious customs, like slava, the way they celebrate when Djokovic wins. I like them because they know they are good and they keep on struggling, and even when they lose, as when they lost to Cuban national team in semi-final of World Championship in volleyball last year in Italy. Everything else Serbia has, is subject to personal qualities of people, from scenery of Vojvodina to canyons in Sumadija, because everything has been changed by those people.
I miss lot of things from Cuba; it is my country. I miss spirit and sense of humor of my people, colors and joy and their wish to overcome all difficulties. I miss socializing with my neighbors when, after business hours, if I have forgot to buy salt, I know I can count on their help to prepare launch. I miss parades on May 1st and patriotic fervor in the street, I miss my son and relatives, but people in Serbia have made an effort, although I miss all of these, I do not feel nostalgic, which is another plus for my friends in this country.
How do you spend your spare time?
I got to know Slavic people during my career and adjusted well to their customs and tradition. My profession requires my adjustment to customs in other countries, despite I miss my home country. But, diplomatic life, and particularly ours in Serbia is very active, because we are a small team and because different activities connected to Cuba are organized in this country, not allowing us to have spare time for private life.
Actually, I try to use each visit to theatre, museum, monastery or other institution, where I am on business reasons, to enrich my private life. I would also like to tell you that wherever there is some Cuban cultural event, you can see this Ambassador dancing Cuban son, whether it be some Belgrade café or restaurant or in main street in Smederevska Palanka or in Vozdovac during the Days of Cuba which were held there.
