He reminded the participants that Cuba and South Africa established full diplomatic relations on 11 May 1994. A number of bilateral cooperation agreements have since been signed with Cuba in areas of: science and technology, arts and culture, sport and recreation, air services, merchant shipping, trade and economic assistance. The governments of both countries shared similar interests in relation to addressing the socio-economic needs and aspirations of the peoples of both countries. The first Cuban doctors began arriving in South Africa in 1996, to fill a skills shortage in state hospitals. The Cuban doctors were assigned to work in South Africa mainly in rural and previously under serviced areas. More than a thousand South African students were currently studying medicine in Cuba.