Fort Lauderdale, March 10 (RHC)—Delegations from Cuba and the United States have met to explore a bilateral cooperation plan for the implementation of an accord to prepare for and respond to oil spills and hazardous substance pollution in the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida.

According to the island´s Foreign Ministry, the two-day meeting took place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Representatives of the Cuban ministries of Transportation, Interior, Energy and Mining, Science Technology and the Environment, and Foreign Affairs participated in the island´s delegation, as well as officials from the Cuban National Civil Defense.

Officials from the State Department and Coast Guard represented the United States.

According to a Foreign Ministry press release, the talks were held in a professional and respectful environment, and reflected the importance of bilateral cooperation for the protection of the marine environment in a region of great economic importance for both countries such as the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida.

The bilateral agreement was signed in Havana on January 9 , 2017.