Havana, December 15 (RHC)-- The 18th Meeting of the Cuba-Venezuela Intergovernmental Commission concluded sessions Thursday in Havana with the signing of a Final Declaration and Cooperation Plan for the year 2018.

The document features 27 projects within nine programs in such areas as healthcare, human resource training, and culture.

The two sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the inter-governmental commission in the second half of 2018 in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.

Thursday's meeting in Havana was co-presided over by Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza.

Addressing the meeting, Malmierca reaffirmed Cuba’s unwavering support for Venezuela. The Cuban minister underscored the importance of the Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement between Cuba and Venezuela, which he said, paved the way for the creation of the Bolivarian Alliance for the People’s of Our America-People’s Trade Agreement (ALBA-TPCP).

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Arreaza mentioned important features of the comprehensive agreement between Cuba and Venezuela, such as solidarity, something which, he said, constitute a main characteristic of genuine, socialist revolutions.

The Venezuelan diplomat further stressed his people's profound gratitude toward the Cuban people and their revolution and praised Cuba's cooperation programs in a wide variety of areas, most notably in health care, sports and culture.