China, Cuba FMs Hold TalksChinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan and his Cuban counterpart, Felipe Perez Roque, held a round of official talks at the Cuban Foreign Ministry Saturday.Tang, who arrived in the island Saturday, told the press that both sides exchanged opinions about issues of common concern and reached an ample consensus on bilateral and international issues. The Chinese foreign minister expressed his high regard for the notable results obtained by Cuba in the defense of national dignity and state sovereignty, as well as in the reactivation of the economy. Perez Roque expressed in his turn the gratitude of the Cuban government to the Chinese government for the solidarity and support received during the difficult years Cuba has gone through. The Cuban foreign minister said that his government attaches great importance to the role played by China in the international scenario, as a country that represents the aspirations and rights of the peoples of the Third World. The two ministers signed after the talks an agreement of academic cooperation between the Higher Institute of International Relations of Cuba, and the Diplomatic Institute of China. They also signed an accord of economic cooperation through which Beijing donated Havana almost 2 million U.S. dollars for the purchase of medicines. The Chinese foreign minister, who visits the island for the first time, will meet with the highest Cuban authorities and will tour several sites of interest. Tang Jiaxuan will leave Havana Monday for Mexico City, the second leg of his Latin America tour, which also includes Brazil and Chile. |
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