Namibia and Cuba on the road to greater cooperation

By: Nuria Barbosa León

Namibia's Minister of Urban and Rural Development, Erastus Uutoni, recently visited Havana to strengthen cooperation by identifying common areas and proposing actions with the Cuban Ministry of Construction (MINCONS).

In his words, he highlighted the friendship between the two countries, which was born in the fraternal relations between the leaders Fidel Castro and Sam Nujoma, in the struggle for the independence of the African country, which was achieved in 1990 with the participation of Cuban internationalists, after the victories achieved in the military field in Angola.

The Namibian leader mentioned the help of the Greater of the Antilles in the training of young Namibians in Cuba in different professions, the sending of medical brigades to the African nation and exchanges in the educational and construction sectors.

"The consolidated base in bilateral political relations, we want to segment it in the economic sphere. The whole world knows that Cuba must resist and defy the blockade imposed by the United States, and we are thinking about what else to do. Namibia never abandons its friends and we support them with the little we have," the African leader said.

In his busy schedule from November 7 to 13, the visitor spoke with the authorities of MICONS, the Union of Construction Companies of the Caribbean, S.A. (UNECA), and exchanged views with managers and workers of the Center for Research and Development of Cuba, a central government agency.

For several years, Cuban technicians and engineers have been working in his country to construct buildings and public spaces that allow for better urban planning of population settlements, in which UNECA is involved.

There is also a similar company, the National Housing Enterprise (NHE), and the two entities are trying to reach an agreement to identify areas of exchange, in particular to establish a research center, and they are already working on a joint program.

His main interest is to consolidate the links between the medium and small business people of both nations to make plans, "this will be the way to further strengthen the friendship," said Erastus Uutoni.