Havana, Feb. 17 (RHC-PL) --  Japan has made a donation to Cuba for 1.5 billion yen (around 10 million dollars)  to purchase specialized equipment for Havana's communal services. The Japanese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Masahisa Sato and Cuban first deputy minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (Mincex) in Cuba, Antonio Luis Carricarte, signed the agreement.

According to the two officials, the contribution forms part of the aid program for the development of this Caribbean nation and illustrates the will to continue strengthening the bilateral ties in the economic and commercial sphere.

According to Carricarte, providing Havana with better equipment for sanitation works is relevant in environmental, economic and social terms, at a time when the city is preparing to celebrate the 500th anniversary of its foundation in November 2019.

For Cuba, cooperation and economic relations with Japan 'are of great importance,' said the representative of Mincex, who noted the progress in recent years of different projects in areas such as tourism, health, agriculture, energy and environmental protection.

'The donation by the Japanese government will help optimize the collection and final disposal of solid waste in Havana, which is a priority for the country,' he said.

Sato highlighted the interest of contributing to improve the urban environment of the city, which should favor the capacity of the territory to face adverse climatic situations due to hurricanes and other meteorological phenomena.

On March 9, he said, a permanent office of the International Cooperation Agency of Japan (JICA) will be inaugurated in Havana in order to strengthen economic links in different sectors.