Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñóz Valenzuela said in Havana that the newly signed cooperation agreements between his country and Cuba are an excellent example of South-South cooperation.
Minister Heraldo Muñoz headed a large official and business delegation here late last week.
The Chilean delegation had a packed agenda that included meetings with high-ranking Cuban officials and the signing of bilateral cooperation accords in several areas of common interest.
In statements to reporters here in Havana, the Chilean foreign minister thanked the Cuban government and people for their solidarity with the Chilean people, especially through hard times.
He particularly recalled that Cuban medical brigades traveled to Chile to assist victims of devastating earthquakes in 1960 and 2010, and more recently in April this year, in the wake of heavy rains that hit the Atacama region.
"I have felt at home here in Cuba and I think that the same applies to Chilean entrepreneurs, who have accompanied me on this visit. We have seen here in Cuba a country that is changing according to the best interests of its people"
The Chilean foreign minister also acknowledged the latest steps towards improved US-Cuba relations and stressed that the Chilean people have always supported Cuba's cause against the US blockade.
Meanwhile, Cuban Minister for Foreign Investment and Cooperation Rodrigo Malmierca said the new agreements mark a new era in bilateral Cuba-Chile relations.
"We have decided to work together on issues regarding regulations for pharmaceuticals, which we think will favor the export of Cuban medicine and other biotechnology products to Chile. We have also discussed extensively the issue of foreign investment here in Cuba, particularly the opportunities offered by the new Foreign Investment Law and the special development zone at Mariel."
Chile and Cuba also signed a declaration of intent for future joint technical cooperation initiatives in third countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Other signed documents included a memorandum of understanding between the ministries of public health of the two countries, a bilateral cooperation accord between the Cuban Foreign Commerce Bank and the State Bank of Chile.
The Cuba-Chile Entrepreneurial Committee was also set up.
During the ceremony here in Havana, Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñóz Valenzuela, on behalf of the Chilean government and people, presented Cuban Deputy Health Minister Dr. Marcia Cobas with a donation of one hundred surgical suits for Cuban medical brigades working abroad.
