Rice, milk, maize: the first donation from Brazil paid by the international collection arrives in Cuba

A ship loaded with milk powder, rice, corn and soya flour arrived at the Mariel Container Terminal on WednesdayWhat is the first shipment of food aid sent from Brazil through an agreement that funds the United Arab Emirates.

According to the government newspaper artemisenoWho informed about the arrival of the shipment, “Trilateral agreement aims to deliver US$50 million in food aid to Cuba, “This is an example of close existing relations and demonstrates the relevance of South-South cooperation.”

Brazilian Ambassador to Cuba Christian Vargas, receiving it, said, “This is the first of the next shipment of goods arriving in Cuba in the coming weeks and it embodies the determination of our governments to work together for the common good of the peoples ” Donation. ,

For his part, Jassim Alshamsi, chargé d’affaires of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Cuba, said he was honored to be present at the welcoming ceremony, and highlighted that relations between Havana and his country have recently improved. Moving forward. Year. last year.

“Currently Brazil and the UAE are important commercial partners of Cuba in Latin America and the Middle EastOscar Pérez-Oliva, Cuba’s First Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, said, “It is in our country’s interest to strengthen and consolidate political, economic and cooperation relations with both countries.”

“Our country advocates developing cooperation in other priority areas such as renewable energy, food production and the environment. Similarly, we reaffirm our willingness to cooperate on the basis of the scientific capacity we have in the development of sustainable agriculture. ” ” He added.

This week, the island’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minrex) announced Brazil and UAE will help Havana Reducing severe food shortages affecting the population,

Funds are made available to carry out the initiative Arab Emirates According to the official Prensa Latina agency, “Will provide financial support to improve the adaptability of food systems and increase investment in specific projects In producing, distributing and supporting nutritious, healthy and sustainable food systems.

According to that report, that country’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimi, said that This would be a contribution to “protecting the environment and limiting the impacts of climate change affecting producers”.

The agreement was announced during the stay of Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz in the United Arab Emirates, where he traveled to attend the World Summit of Governments, and Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This must have been agreed upon during the conference. (COP-28), to be held in the Arab nation in late 2023, was attended by Miguel Díaz-Canel.

Two months before Diaz-Canel’s visit, Cuba’s Deputy Prime Minister and head of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment was there, ricardo cabrisas, During that visit, both sides adopted a Memorandum of Understanding reordering of loan payments Havana with the country, which would have given Havana a $50 million loan for “a solar network concentrator”.

The COP-28 Declaration on Food Systems, Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Action was approved by 150 countries, after A conference that managed to raise more than $85 billion in financing. Of these, 55 million will be for food purchases from Cuba.

Similarly, as the host of the G20 summit in 2024, Brazil wants to maintain aid initiative for the island, whose officials are unable to produce what the country needs to feed its inhabitants. According to the official mantra, the culprit for this and Cuba’s other deprivations is always the US embargo.