Havana, March 27 (RHC) – On Tuesday Cuba and Japan signed two agreements aimed at improving electricity service and the purchase of buses for urban transport.

The document was signed for Cuba by the Antonio Luis Carricarte, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, and Kazuhiro Fujimura, Japanese ambassador to Cuba.

The first agreement comprises of a donation to improve the power supply in the Isle of Youth, valued at  2.392 billion Japanese yen, or around 22 million US dollars.

The second accord provides Cuba 9.5 million US dollars for the purchase of urban buses for the capital and forms part of the country's Economic and Social Development Plan.

Cuba and Japan have worked to boost their diplomatic and commercial ties in the last three years since the visit by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, then First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers, to Japan. That same year, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe traveled to Havana, and conducted several high-level meetings.

In 2018, the 15th Cuba-Japan Economic Conference took place during which several areas for cooperation were identified, including waste management, the supply of high-tech medical equipment, agriculture and energy.

Also in 2018, starting with the 3rd Japan-Cuba Public-Private Joint Committee, a protocol was signed for a bilateral economic agenda through 2020.