The Honorable Stephen Lashley, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth of Barbados, today begins an official visit to Cuba, in which the main aspects of bilateral cooperation portfolios will be reviewed. To this end, his delegation will meet with the President of the National Institute of Sports and Recreation (INDER), Antonio Becali, the Minister of Culture, Julian Gonzalez, and the National Committee of the Youth Union (UJC) organization that focuses political attention to Cuban youth, including a wide variety of social programs with full state support for the benefit of youth sectors in the different spheres of society. Permanent Secretary, Ms. Ruth Blackman, Ms. Andrea King, Manager Development Authority Cultural Industries, and Mr. Stephen Rowe, head of Sports Development, will accompany the Minister and will visit several sports facilities of excellence in Island, including top preparation centers for athletes, as well as entities related to national culture industry in its various manifestations. The progress of sports cooperation, as part of which seven Cuban coaches are participating in six sports in Barbados (volleyball, swimming, table tennis, boxing, cycling and hockey) are reviewed as part of the bilateral agenda and evaluated its possible enlargement to the cultural sphere with technical assistance in heritage restoration.