Havana, Apr 15 (Prensa Latina) Civil society organizations from Cuba and Europe shared today in this capital experiences on sustainable development, a few hours before the island and the European Union (EU) start talks on the subject.
During the meeting, representatives of Cuban organizations of workers, students, professionals and women pointed out that the main obstacle to the Cuban development is the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States for nearly 60 years.
One of the issues discussed during the exchange of criteria was the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, approved in September 2015 at the United Nations, a program of 17 objectives to combat scourges such as poverty, hunger and exclusion in access to health, education and water.
European NGOs recognized the island’s progress in implementing the ambitious Agenda 2030, including those related to women’s empowerment and sexual and reproductive rights.
Tomorrow, Cuba and the EU will hold the First Dialogue on Sustainable Development between Cuba and the European Union, based on the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement reached by the parties in 2016, which entered into force provisionally in 2017.
At the forum planned at the headquarters of the host Foreign Ministry, Havana and Brussels will discuss Agenda 2030 and the challenges for its implementation.
The Cuban delegation will be led by the Director General for Multilateral Affairs and International Law of the Foreign Ministry, Rodolfo Reyes, and the EU delegation by the Director General for International Cooperation and Development of the European Commission, Stefano Manservisi.
The parties are expected to sign new cooperation mechanisms and offer statements to the press at the end of the meeting.
With regard to the meeting in this capital, the Cuban government reiterated that it considers sustainable development a priority and the 2030 Agenda, a multilateral mechanism far removed from the unilateralism that constitutes the US blockade.
ef/abo/wmr
