Havana, April 17 (RHC)-- Representatives of Cuba and the European Union (EU) met in Havana on Tuesday to hold the first Cuba-EU Sustainable Development Dialogue.  Rodolfo Reyes Rodríguez, General Director of Multilateral Affairs and International Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, and Stefano Manservisi, General Director of International Cooperation and Development of the European Commission, chaired the respective delegations.

This is the first round of the dialogue after the provisional entry into force of the agreement, on November 1, 2017.

Progress made by both parties in the implementation and the main challenges facing the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals were addressed at the meeting.

The Cuban delegation emphasized that the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against the country constitutes the main obstacle to the achievement of the objectives and goals.
 

Both delegations referred to the important role played by the Island in the area of ​​South-South Cooperation and the possibility of strengthening the bonds between the parties.
 

Cuba also presented the results obtained in the realization of the "Life Task," the plan of the Cuban State for the confrontation to climate change. Both parties confirmed their commitment to international cooperation in this field and their strong support for the Paris Agreement.
 

As part of this event, a meeting of representatives of Cuban and European civil society took place, with the objective of exchanging opinions on the role that civil society organizations must play in achieving the goals and objectives of sustainable development.

The dialogue concluded with the signing of new cooperation agreements between Cuba and the EU.