Cuba's first deputy minister of the Ministry of Science,
Technology, and Environment (CITMA), José Fidel Santana.

Lisbon, June 30 (RHC)-- Cuba's first deputy minister of the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment (CITMA), José Fidel Santana, said Thursday that the shared management of the oceans, as well as reflection on their sustainability, should be one of the top priorities of governments.

Speaking in Lisbon during the Oceans Conference promoted by the UN, with the participation of Portugal and Kenya, Santana stressed the weight of these issues in the survival of small island states.

Based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, he stressed that the meeting in Lisbon "unites us in a common objective: to protect and conserve our seas and oceans."

Santana said Cuba considers that the protection of the environment must be aligned with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and that regional and international cooperation is a must, especially in the Caribbean countries.

He added that Cuba favors implementing sustainable development models based on scientific knowledge and technology, ethics, and environmental policy oriented to the sustainability of development and reflecting national circumstances.