REMARKS FROM CHARGÉ D’AFFAIRES, AMBASSADOR JEFFREY DELAURENTIS
Signing of AGREEMENT
ON MARITIME AND AERONAUTICAL SEARCH AND RESCUE
(As prepared)
The United States and Cuba have been working together on search and rescue operations for more than 20 years. Today we make another advance in strengthening this cooperation between the United States and Cuba in our common effort to save lives.
This bilateral agreement recognizes the importance of air and maritime search and rescue cooperation by both nations. Improved search and rescue coordination is vital for the United States and Cuba, particularly as authorized trade and travel increase between our two countries.
I congratulate U.S. and Cuban search and rescue authorities on this historic achievement. Since arriving in August 2014, I have come to appreciate the coordination between the U.S. Coast Guard and Cuba’s maritime and aeronautical search and rescue system.
And so it is my great pleasure to sign this search and rescue agreement on behalf of the U.S. government.
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