Carlos Miguel Pereira, Cuban Ambassador to China

Beijing, September 28 (RHC)-- China and Cuba are celebrating today 61 years of bilateral relations in full maturity, while they continue as a reference of strengthen friendship that became a vehicle to face challenges and move towards a successful future.

Reviewing what has been achieved in this time of diplomatic contact, the island's ambassador Carlos Miguel Pereira, said during an interview with Prensa Latina that there is practically no area of relations without experiencing a dynamic of fluid growth and supported by a high level of communication.

He added that the Covid-19 pandemic far from affecting that level of dialogue has been an opportunity to deepen them in several ways, since there were telephone calls between the main leaders, exchanges of letters, messages and videoconferences in almost all sectors, including among their parties.

The diplomat remarked how the current health crisis was a scenario of the maximum expression of solidarity and support between the two governments, stressing that the Chinese experience allowed Cuba to prepare itself in time and create its own health protocols.

He illustrated this statement with the establishment of an air bridge that allowed to organice around twenty charter flights contracted by the largest of the Antilles to carry batches of materials and equipment donated here and also acquired to face the deadly disease.

Pereira signified the beginning of a joint project to develop the Pancorona vaccine, aimed at attacking different mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the cause of Covid-19.

To sumarize we can say that during the pandemic, Cuba and China have been examples of how solidarity and cooperation should be we correct path to follow and the way to overcome this pandemic that affects us all', he remarked.

The ambassador defined as an important pillar in the relations the dialogue on multiple international issues and the coordinating work in global organizations and forums in the face of campaigns, measures and unilateral sanctions promoted by the United States.

Pereira mentioned Cuba's support to China in aspects related to the defense of its sovereignty, territorial integrity, rejection of foreign interference and more recently to the politicization of the origin of SARS-CoV-2.

The Asian giant, for its part, maintains its unchanged position of support for Havana in the fight against Washington's economic, financial and commercial blockade, as well as the destabilization attempts as a result of the events of last July 11.

Regarding economic-commercial ties, Pereira assured that the prospects are very important, since China is consolidating as Cuba's second commercial partner, second in the origin of imports and the main destination of its exports of products such as rum, tobacco, sugar and coffee, among others.

He mentioned biotechnology as one of the areas of growing development. After 16 years of collaboration it is yielding more concrete results and is in a position to continue contributing to exchanges.

The scientific-technological field is also advancing through joint programs that are already beginning to be implemented. The same is expected with the opening of a pavilion on the JD.com electronic platform to sall Cuban products present in this market.

He said that the economic-commercial component in bilateral relations is gaining in strength and preeminence. We hope that if we keep working little by little, we manage to make it a reality that can be taken to a level of political ties', mentioning the existing potential in tourism and investment.

Pereira mentioned that they are about to conclude the signing of the action plan derived from a memorandum of understanding signed by both governments to insert Cuba in the initiative of the Belt and Road, called to become a mega network of infrastructure and cooperation. (PL)