The officials of the Cuban Embassy in Austria, Marieta García (Counselor) and Roberto Vizcaíno (Second Secretary in charge of Consular Affairs) performed a working visit to Carintia, an Austrian region. They were received by the authorities of Wolfsberg, St. Andrä, and Klagenfurt cities. They had some meetings with the Head of the branch of the Friendship Association Cuba-Austria (ÖKG, by its Dutch initials) and Cuban residents in this Austrian region.
There was a great interest in taking forward the relations with Cuba in cultural, educational, economic, and political sectors through the encounters with Peter Stauber, the mayor andMaria Knauder, city councilwoman of St. Andrä; Dr. Manuela Karner, deputy mayoress, and Alfred Seidler, the counsellor for culture in Wolfsberg; Harry Koller, the director of Renner Institute of Carintia region. There were also a presentation and an exchange of questions and responses about Cuba with the students of Wolfsberg´s Technical School, specialized in metals. Likewise, its Principal talked about the existing potentialities for the exchange of teaching information.
Themayor of St. Andrä and Matthias Koechl, federal parliamentary of the Green Party (that is also the vicepresident of that organization) were present in the meeting with ÖKG branch.
During the cordial conversation, the Cuban officials informed about the Cuba´s Economic and Social Model updating process; the stage of Cuba´s relations with Austria, the European Union, and the United States. It was highlighted that the relations with the latter are subjected to the obstacles that prevent from the normalization: the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed against Cuba and the illegal occupation of territory of Guantánamo Naval Base. The Austrian audience was interested in the potentialities existing in Austria and especially in Carintia to develop the economic bonds with Cuba. They ratified they solidarity with the Cuban Revolution and their commitment to continue jointly working. This OKG branch was established on 8 October 2016, it has more than 30 members, and it executes an active work under Stefan Salzmann leadership.
Moreover, the schedule included an encounter with Cuban residents of that region to whom updated information about the country was provided. Besides, questions about consular issues were answered.
(Embacuba Austria)