Vijayan conveyed to the Cuban President Kerala's deep affection for Cuba and admiration for revolutionary heroes like Fidel Castro and Che.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. (Pinarayi Vijayan/ Twitter)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is on a two-day visit to Cuba, met the country’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Thursday, 15 June, in Havana and discussed the possibilities of cooperation between the Latin American nation and the South Indian state in the fields of sports, health, and biotechnology.
Canel assured Vijayan that Cuba will work with Kerala in these fields, a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.
The Cuban President said his Cabinet will also deliberate on cooperating with Kerala in various other areas like digital university, technical communication between universities, and student exchange programmes, the statement said.
Diaz-Canel also termed as exemplary Kerala’s achievements in the social sectors and promised to visit the state next time he comes to India, the statement said.
During their interaction, Vijayan congratulated Canel on his second term as President of Cuba, and told him about Kerala’s deep affection for Cuba and its admiration for revolutionary heroes like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.
Was privileged to call on Cuban President @DiazCanelB and discuss the possibilities of Cuba-Kerala collaboration in sectors including public healthcare & sports. He promised to rigorously follow up our discussion & to visit Kerala on his next trip to India. pic.twitter.com/aEASNylXOM
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) June 15, 2023
The decision to cooperate in the health and sports sectors was arrived at in meetings between Vijayan and top Cuban officials in the health and sports fields, the statement said.
The chief minister noted that the Cuban health system was world-renowned in the fields of public health care, tropical medicine, neuroscience research, molecular immunology and cancer treatment, the CMO statement said.
Had a fruitful interaction with a Cuban delegation led by eminent experts in Cuba’s healthcare system, including @EdMartDiaz, @MitchellValdes2, and @EduardoCim. They have extended Cuba’s support in areas like tropical medicine, neuroscience research, and molecular immunology. pic.twitter.com/QFGviFBQRz
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) June 15, 2023
Vijayan said that Cuba’s achievements in public health and medical research are recognised worldwide, and the Latin American nation has also made great strides in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
The meeting was held with Eduardo Martinez Diaz, president of BioCubaFarma, an organisation of biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, Dr Mitchell Valdes Sosa, director general of the National Center for Neurosciences (CNEURO), and Eduardo Ojito Magus, director general of the Centre for Molecular Immunology (CIM) in Havana.
The delegation from Kerala noted that Cuban biotechnology and pharmaceuticals had made great strides in producing drugs and medical devices with international standards and, therefore, cooperation in this sector would lead to impressive changes in the state’s health sector.
Vijayan, during the discussions, welcomed global participation and investment in health-related sectors and expressed interest in establishing a vaccine manufacturing facility in Kerala in collaboration with BioCubaFarma, the CMO statement said.
Vijayan was of the view that, there were many opportunities for cooperation in the field of health with Cuba, such as training programmes for health professionals and research programmes.
The Kerala chief minister assured the Cuban officials that conditions will be created for cooperation and continuous exchange of ideas between health institutions in Cuba and Kerala.
A working group will be formed with officials from Kerala and Cuba for further steps, and it will be headed by the principal secretary of the Health Department in Kerala, the statement said.
The chief minister also said that a Cuban delegation led by experts will be invited to Kerala for further discussions regarding the health, research and construction sectors.
In a meeting with Raul Fornes Valenciano, vice-president of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation in Cuba, an agreement was reached on providing Cuban assistance for the growth of Kerala’s sports sector, the statement said.
“It was agreed to take necessary decisions as soon as possible to bring coaches from Cuba to train Kerala athletes in volleyball, judo, and track-and-field events.
“Possibilities of organising online chess matches between Kerala and Cuba were also explored, and the chief minister also expressed interest in sending Kerala athletes to Cuba for training,” the CMO statement said.
Valenciano, while speaking of Cuba’s willingness to cooperate in the development of sports in Kerala, also discussed with Vijayan the possibility of exchange programmes.
Had a promising meeting with @RaulFornes, Vice-President of @InderCuba. Sought Cuba’s support and cooperation in the development of Kerala’s sports sector. An agreement will be made soon to bring Cuban sports experts to Kerala to improve the quality of our coaching methods. pic.twitter.com/WfhamNnO1s
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) June 15, 2023
Vijayan, who is on a tour to the US and Cuba, reached the Latin American nation for a two-day visit on Thursday.
He is accompanied by Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal, State Health Minister Veena George and senior bureaucrats.
He had left for Cuba on Wednesday, 14 June, after concluding his nearly week-long US visit.
(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)
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