Geneva, November 21 (RHC-PL) -- Cuba officially joined the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO) as a full member state of the organization that gathers 54 countries.

The ratification of the island's accession to the mechanism was delivered in Geneva to a Cuban delegation presided over by General Chief of Staff for the National Defense, Major General Ramón Pardo Guerra. Pardo Guerra had just participated in a Preparatory Committee for the World Conference on Disaster Reduction.

During the meeting, ICDO Secretary-General Vladimir Kuvshinov highlighted the close cooperation ties with Cuba for several years.

Kuvshinov made emphasis on the valuable contributions that could result from Cuba's addition to the organization, since the island is a reference for good practices in disaster risk prevention, managing and mitigation, as well as possessing an entity so efficient in terms of organization like the so-called “Civilian Defense.”

For his part, Pardo said how significant it was for Cuba to join the ICDO and vowed to strengthen ties with other member countries.