Joint Cuba/Iran Ramsar sites stamp

Over the years a number of countries around the world have issued postage stamps featuring the Ramsar Convention and Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar sites). Here is the latest, jointly issued in 2008 by Cuba and the Islamic Republic of Iran, in commemoration of a collaboration mission.  The stamp features a Ramsar site in each country, with the Ramsar Convention logo and the two countries’ national flags as the centre-piece. Featured are the Cienaga de Zapata Ramsar site in Cuba and the Anzali wetlands Ramsar site in Iran. The Iranian version of the stamp has the same images but with different wording.  We congratulate Cuba and I.R. Iran for their initiative in issuing this splendid Ramsar stamp, and are most grateful to Teresita Borges and Enrique Hernandez Hernandez of the Centro Nacional de Areas Protegidas, Cuba, for their help in sourcing a copy of the stamp for the Secretariat.  As part of the preparations for celebrating in 2011 the 40^th anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention in Wetlands, the Ramsar Secretariat is encouraging Contracting Parties to issue commemorative Ramsar postage stamps, and this Cuba/Iran stamp provides a really excellent model.