Namibia, September 8th, 2021- Deborah Rivas, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba, and Hon. Jenelly Matundu, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia, inaugurated the V Session of the Cuba-Namibia Joint Working Group, which will meet virtually on September 8th and 9th, 2021. Both preside over the cooperation mechanism by their respective countries.
In their opening speeches, the Deputy Ministers made clear the excellent level of bilateral relations and the will to continue strengthening them. The Namibian representative thanked Cuba for the support during the struggle for the liberation of her country and after independence, achieved in 1990. For her part, the Cuban leader expressed her gratitude for the unconditional support of Namibians in the struggle to lift the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States.
In this regard, Deputy Minister Matundu condemned this genocidal policy of the US government. Similarly, she highlighted the achievements of Cuba, still under the blockade, referring to the Cuban vaccine candidates against COVID-19.
Likewise, during the day the first round of exchanges was held, in the sectors of Health, Education, Construction, Fishing and Higher Education, where their representatives presented their points of view on the state of cooperation.
The talks were led by Sergio Espinosa, director of Trade Policy for Africa and the Middle East at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Trade, and Ambassador Sabine Böhlke-Möller, Director General of Bilateral Affairs at the Namibian Foreign Ministry.
Also participating were Sidenio Acosta, Cuban Ambassador to Namibia, and H.E. Samuel /Goagoseb, Namibian Ambassador to Cuba, as well as other officials from the respective Foreign Ministries and Embassies.
The exchanges will continue tomorrow and the closing session will be held, where the Minutes of the V Session will be signed. Representatives of the Culture, Sports, Mines and Energy, Justice and Industrialization and Commerce sectors are expected to intervene.