New York, July 18th, 2023.- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Planning, Alejandro Gil Fernández, who leads his country delegation to the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, was welcomed by Secretary General of United Nations, Antonio Guterres, at the headquarter of this multilateral organization.
During the meeting, the Secretary General praised Cuba´s cooperation with the System of United Nations and highlighted the work carried out as Chair of the Group of 77 and China.
Guterres conveyed a warm salutation to President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez and Army General Raúl Castro Ruz.
He also referred to the important challenges faced by humanity like the fight against poverty and the climate change, and to the need to achieve a reform of the international financing architecture, as well as the adoption of measures to solve issues related to the debt, financing for development, among others.
Guterres availed this opportunity to thank for and accept the invitation to participate at the Summit of the Group of 77 and China to be held in Havana, under the theme "Current Development Challenges: Role of Science, Technology and Innovation".
Deputy Prime Minister Gil Fernández offered an update on Cuba´s economic situation marked by the world economic crisis and accentuated by the unprecedented strengthening of the United States economic, commercial and financial blockade as well as by the unjust inclusion in the list of States sponsors of terrorism.
The Cuban official explained that despite these difficulties, the Greater of the Antilles continues advancing toward the construction of a sovereign, independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous and sustainable society; and detailed that to this end it strengthens the planning and coordination at govermental levels, promoting innovation, scientific reasearch and the building up of multi-actoral alliances, as essential tools to recovery.
Gil Fernández was accompanied by Gerardo Peñalver Portal, first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs and Permanent Representative of Cuba to United Nations, as well as officials from the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy and Planning.
(Cubaminrex - Cuban Permanent Mission to United Nations)
Embacuba Dinamarca