Havana, July 1 (RHC)-- The third working meeting between Cuban and U.S. officials was held June 29th and 30th, in Havana.

The aim was to identify common areas for increased cooperation in the framework of the Joint Declaration on Environmental Protection signed in Washington D.C., on November 24th, 2015.

The U.S. delegation was headed by Ambassador David Balton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries of the Department of State, and included representatives of the State Department, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Commerce.

The Cuban delegation was headed by Dr. José Fidel Santana Núñez, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment, and included other senior officials of the Environment Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Specific initiatives and measures were defined in the fields of protection and sustainable management of marine biodiversity and the reduction of coastal vulnerability, through the exchange of scientific information and other joint actions.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides expressed their willingness to continue advancing in the development of mutually beneficial cooperation.