Argentina president on official visit to Cuba

[bemildred]

Source: DPA

Havana - Cuban President Raul Castro received Argentina President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in the first such meeting between the heads of state of both countries since 1986. The four-star general accorded Fernandez military honours in the Palace of the Revolution before the two witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements on science, technology, energy and food.

Fernandez visited the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Centre outside Havana which produced vaccines, some of which are sold in Argentina.

She planned to meet with National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon, address a conference in the University of Havana, and participate in a seminar with businessmen from both countries.

But Fernandez was not expected to meet with dissident doctor Hilda Molina, who had requested her help to convince Cuban authorities to allow her to visit her family in Buenos Aires.

Read more: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/251478,argentina-president-on-official-visit-to-cuba.html

[xchrom]

1. oh now that's intersting.

like to have been a fly on that wall.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Argentina and Cuba expand cooperative ties

Argentina and Cuba expand cooperative ties

Miriela Fernández Lozano

http://www.granma.cu.nyud.net:8090/fotos1/enero09/acuerdos_raul_cristina.jpg

AFTER official talks in the Palace of the Revolution, President Raúl Castro Ruz and Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner attended the signing of 11 bilateral agreements, with the goal of promoting closer collaboration in different areas.

Along with an agreement on the reciprocal elimination of visas for diplomatic, official and service passports, four memorandums of understanding were signed: the first for exchanges of experience in preventing and mitigating natural disasters; the second, for strengthening cooperation in agriculture, food, livestock, forestation, biotechnology and rural development; another, for closer rapprochement on utilizing and expanding exchanges of information to help establish positions in multilateral forums, such as the International Labour Organization.

The latter of these memorandums refers to promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy, especially in medicine and agriculture.

Agreements were also signed for scientific and technical and commercial cooperation. In the field of health, accords were fundamentally aimed at promoting mutual research and production of anti-retroviral, oncological and other medicines.

Likewise, both sides envisioned the launch of joint projects in the area of energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, and increasing participation in the areas of geology, mining and the environment.

One instrument is the creation of an Argentine-Cuban Bi-national Biotechnology Center for developing pharmaceuticals and vaccines, with the fundamental objective of promoting research programs and technology transfer in this area.

More:
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2009/enero/mar20/Argentina-Cuba.html