Officials from the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in the United Kingdom met with representatives of the UK Government's Department for Business and Trade (DBT) on 10 April. The meeting was part of efforts to identify new areas of bilateral and regional cooperation.
During the meeting, both sides discussed trade and investment opportunities with Cuba. The Cuban side was represented by the press adviser, Orestes Martínez, and the first secretary for economic and commercial affairs, Soima Méndez.
DBT was represented by Max Tollemache, director for Latin America, Tara Odeinde, director for Mexico and the Caribbean, and Lara Haughney, specialist for Cuba and Central America.
The UK representatives expressed their interest in learning more about Cuba's economic and regulatory environment for foreign trade activities, as well as exploring opportunities for cooperation in high value-added sectors such as biotechnology, renewable energy and the environment.
Both delegations agreed on the importance of promoting channels of technical and business dialogue that contribute to overcoming obstacles resulting from the extraterritorial effects of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the US government.
The Cuban Embassy reiterated the country's willingness to promote mutually beneficial economic relations with the UK, in line with the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement signed between the two countries in November 2023, which is in the process of being ratified by the British side.
DBT is a ministerial department of the UK government. It works in areas such as international trade, attracting foreign capital, supporting businesses and SMEs, promoting innovation and growth, and sectoral policies for industry, technology and others.
This dialogue reaffirms Cuba's commitment to promote foreign trade, foreign investment and international cooperation activities aimed at sustainable development.