Cuban President Raúl Castro attends the opening of the XXII Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Association of Caribbean States (AEC), which takes place in this capital. In the meeting, foreign ministers and high-ranking representatives of the member countries of the regional mechanism for consultation, cooperation and concerted action, will evaluate the management of Cuba at the head of this body. They will also have to approve nominations for the next Board of Directors of the Council of Ministers, as well as their Special Committees, the Council of National Representatives of the Special Fund, and the Caribbean Sea Commission for the period 2017-2018.
During the preparatory meeting of the meeting, senior officials from the ACS member countries recognized the Cuban effort in the effort to revitalize the group and promote integration. In addition, the experts congratulated Cuba's initiative to hold the first Cooperation Meeting, held on March 8, in which seven collaborative projects were agreed on topics essential to the area.
The meeting paid tribute to the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, whose legacy in defense of the cooperation and integration of the Caribbean peoples was present throughout the event, the Foreign Ministry said in an official statement. Likewise, the work of the General Secretariat of the ACS and of Cuba, as president pro tempore of the Council of Ministers of the Association, was recognized during the period 2016-2017.
At the same time, representatives of Cuban institutions and institutions offered press conferences on the opportunities for economic integration in the area in order to foster common development and seize opportunities to strengthen ties and attract investment flows into the area. During the meeting of the Council of Ministers, topics that are part of the agenda are discussed, such as the Special Committees, international economic relations, confronting disasters and climate change, among others.
The XXII Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Association of Caribbean States (AEC) is taking place today in the capital city hotel Tryp Habana Libre, framed in the process of revitalization of the regional mechanism founded in 1994.