Havana, July 18 (RHC) –- Cuban President Raul Castro thanked China for its commitment to consolidate relations with Latin America and the Caribbean and for backing regional efforts towards development.

Speaking at the Summit of China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held Thursday in Brasilia, Raul said that the summit of that organization hosted by Havana in January boosted relations between China and this region with the creation of a China-CELAC forum aimed at facing the difficult conditions prevailing in the world and promoting mutual development.

The Cuban president stressed the importance of relations with China to boost the potential of Latin America and the Caribbean for regional development and he recalled that the nations of this part of the world have important reserves of mineral ores, oil and fresh water.

We have the challenge of working for the industrialization of our natural and agricultural resources, increasing and diversifying our exports, particularly those with larger added values, and reaching a more balanced commercial exchange, and in this regard our links with China play an important role, Raul stressed.

In Brasilia, Raul Castro met with the presidents of Bolivia, Evo Morales and Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos.