Venezuela and Cuba have signed 47 new cooperation accords, valued at $1.6 billion, Venezuelan oil and mining minister Rafael Ramirez announced on Monday.
Upon the closing of the 12th Cuba-Venezuela Joint Intergovernmental Commission, Ramirez underscored the significantly positive impact by the current bilateral cooperation on his country through the implementation of social missions.
All these projects constitute a qualitatively higher stage of bilateral relations, whose commercial value has increased to $11 billion, the minister said.
Meanwhile, the vice-president of the Cuban Council of Ministers Ricardo Cabrisas stressed the success of the joint Commission, which he described as a scenario reaffirming the political will of both governments to implement all approved projects since the year 2000 in tune with the bilateral framework cooperation accord.
During the Commission’s closing session, both parties signed six new contracts in the context of the 2012 program, which are aimed at maintaining technical assistance and services for social missions in Venezuela, continuing to provide the South American nation with pharmaceuticals, contributing to the sectors of health, sports, culture, food sovereignty, as well as supporting the recovery of the Venezuelan electric power generation system.
Over the past few days, Cuban and Venezuelan ministers in nine sectors gathered at Havana´s Conventions Hall to look at projects already under implementation and they approved 47 new projects aimed at improving the wellbeing of the peoples of Cuba and Venezuela.
On Monday afternoon, Cuban President Raul Castro received the Venezuelan delegation that took part in the 12 Joint Intergovernmental Commissions. During the talks, Rafael Ramirez and Ricardo Cabrisas briefed the Cuban president about the major outcomes of the meeting, which will allow strengthening bilateral cooperation and economic integration relations.
Both ministers ratified the determination to work for the increase of efficiency in the use of resources and maximize the social and economic impact of the projects, which include the areas of health, education, culture, sports, agriculture, industry, mining and oil, among others.
The meeting was also attended by the vice-president of the Venezuelan government Ricardo Menendez and several ministers from both countries.
