CIDCA chairman meets with Cuban prime minister

On Nov 6, 2023, Luo Zhaohui, chairman of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), met with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, who is in China to attend the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE).

Luo said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the special friendship between China and Cuba has maintained steady development, with pragmatic bilateral cooperation having continuously deepened. The visit of the prime minister to the CIDCA reflected the great importance attached by the Cuban government to strengthening bilateral cooperation with China, according to Luo. In recent years, the two sides have facilitated the positive results of development assistance projects despite  the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, adding that China is willing to work with Cuba to implement the consensus reached between the two heads of state by accelerating the process of cooperation projects, and expanding exchanges and cooperation in such areas as poverty reduction, climate change response, green economy and human resource development under the frameworks of the Belt and Road cooperation and the Global Development Initiative, in a bid for common development.

Marrero expressed his pleasure at attending the CIIE in China. He said that Cuba highly acknowledges the positive results of bilateral cooperation, and is grateful to China for its long-term assistance in the country’s socioeconomic development and in the fight against the pandemic. Cuba is ready to strengthen policy communication with China, work together for more cooperation results, and set a good example of unity and cooperation between socialist countries, he added.

At the end of the meeting, Luo signed cooperation agreements with President of the Central Bank of Cuba Joaquín Alonso Vázquez.

Cuban Minister of Food Industry Manuel Santiago Sobrino Martínez, Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O Levy, Minister of Communications Mayra Arevich Marín, Cuban Ambassador to China Alberto Blanco Silva, Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Ma Hui, and vice-chairmen of the CIDCA Zhao Fengtao and Tang Wenhong also attended the meeting.