Havana, June 13, 2022.- Representatives of Cuba and the European Union (EU) met today at the Cuban Foreign Ministry to celebrate the third round of the Cuba-EU Political Dialogue on Sustainable Development.
Rodolfo Benítez Verson, Director General of Multilateral Affairs and International Law of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ms. Jolita Butkeviciene, Director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Directorate General for International Partnerships of the European Commission, chaired the respective delegations, which exchanged in a respectful and constructive atmosphere.
The Cuban delegation also included Elizabeth Peña, National Director of Urban, Suburban and Family Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture; Anelis Marichal, Director General of Planning of the National Institute of Territorial Planning and Urbanism, as well as other directors and officials of the Foreign Ministry and Cuban ministries.
The EU was also represented by Jonathan Hatwell, Head of Division Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean of the European External Action Service; Isabel Brilhante, Ambassador, Head of the European Union Delegation in Cuba and other officials of the European External Action Service, the European Commission and the European Union Delegation in Cuba. Also present were ambassadors and diplomats of the EU member countries accredited to Cuba.
In the exchanges held today, several areas with potential to increase cooperation between Cuba and the EU were identified, including those related to food security, local community development, digital connectivity, and the development of environmentally sustainable policies.
The Cuban delegation emphasized that the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the U.S. government against Cuba constitutes the main obstacle to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of the National Plan for Economic and Social Development until 2030. The European counterpart reiterated the Union's position against that policy.
The EU, for its part, reported on several projects and strategies implemented by the community bloc, such as the "Global Gateway", related to collaboration in infrastructure development; and the Green Deal, a plan to address the challenges related to climate and the environment.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to international cooperation in these areas, including the promotion of new triangular projects with the participation of Cuba and the EU.
The two delegations agreed in qualifying the talks as comprehensive and fruitful, and agreed to give them continuity within the framework of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between Cuba and the European Union.
(Cubaminrex)