the cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel received this Monday the official and business mission of Algeria, who pays a visit to Havana. It is headed by His Excellency Mr. Abdelhak Saihi, Minister of Health, Population and Hospital Reform of that nation.
The delegation participates in the XXIII Session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Commercial, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation and in the Algeria-Cuba Business Forum, which is meeting this Tuesday, according to a note published by the official newspaper Granma.
✍️/President @DiazCanelB received Abdelhak Saihi, Minister of Health, Population and Hospital Reform of Algeria, at the head of the delegation to the XXIII Session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Commercial, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation.https://t.co/GfeQr9ZdsX
— Presidency Cuba ?? (@PresidenciaCuba) February 14, 2023
During the meeting, the Cuban president told Mr. Saihi that his presence on the island “demonstrates all the mutual will to advance relations, based on the successful talks we held during my visit to the Algerian Republic and the meetings with President Tebboune ».
In addition, he took the opportunity to send a “warm greeting” to President Abdelmajid Tebboune and Algerian Prime Minister Aiman Benabderrahmane, who received him during his stay in Algiers, between November 16 and 19, 2022.
Díaz-Canel recalled that the Intergovernmental Commission was on hiatus over the years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and gave relevance to its resumption, as to the Business Forumconsidering that they will deepen relations between the two countries.
He also referred to his stay in Algeria and the results of his visit. In turn, he praised the understanding of the main Algerian leaders regarding the current situation in Cuba and highlighted the scope and magnitude of the exchanges, as well as the gestures in relation to the debt, the energy situation in Cuba, and the agreements in other areas of collaboration.
Algeria cancels interest on Cuba’s debt and postpones its repayment
For his part, Saihi expressed his gratitude for the welcome given to him and the delegation accompanying him, and informed Díaz-Canel that before boarding the plane in Algiers, President Tebboune asked him to convey his warm greetings.
According to Granmaalso told him to intensify all the activities scheduled during the visit, especially those related to the Business Forum.
«…as my President requested, starting this morning I began to hold meetings, among them with the Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz; with Vice Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas; and with the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy,” added Saihi.
He also stressed that for this Tuesday he had scheduled other meetings with the Minister of Finance and Prices, the Minister of Public Health and the Minister-President of the Central Bank of Cuba.
“We are ready to implement all the agreements that were reached during your visit to Algeria. In those bilateral conversations – he pointed out – things were clear and precise instructions were given, which we are in charge of taking care of directly,” the visitor told Díaz-Canel, according to the review of the official Cuban newspaper.
In addition to canceling the interest on Cuba’s debt and making its repayment more flexible, during Díaz-Canel’s visit, the Algerian authorities announced that they would donate a photovoltaic power plant to the island and the restoration of the hydrocarbon supply.
??| President @DiazCanelB attends, at the Hotel Nacional, the inauguration of the bilateral Business Forum #Cuba – Algeria, regarding the XXIII Intergovernmental Commission between the two countries. pic.twitter.com/by6R1Ic95Y
— Presidency Cuba ?? (@PresidenciaCuba) February 14, 2023
It was also agreed to hold the Business Forum that takes place today in Havana with the presence of more than 60 representatives of the business sector. Cuban health personnel in the North African nation were also reinforced, which in January of this year sent to Cuba a donation of 180 tons of food.
Since Algeria achieved its independence in 1962, it has maintained close ties with Cuba and these were reinforced with the creation in February 2022 of a mixed parliamentary friendship group.
