During the meeting, the Cuban leader thanked the invitation to participate in the Second High-Level Meeting of the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development, which took place from July 11 to 13.

Tapia called this event a platform for dialogue that truly represents the voice of the Global South.

“We join the multiple voices that recognize the leading role of Chinese President Xi Jinping to promote the Global Development Initiative to which we give high importance in the achievement of projects aligned with the 2030 Agenda,” he said.

The vice prime minister took advantage of the meeting to reiterate the gratitude of the Cuban people and government to China for the recent donation “which shows its sincere support in difficult times.”

“The sensitivity and personalized attention of the main leaders of our countries is a clear expression of the special character of bilateral relations,” he added.

Luo, for his part, highlighted Cuba’s position during the Forum on Global Action for Shared Development and recognized the brotherhood between both nations.

At the end of their talks, both representatives signed a cooperation agreement that expands multi-sector collaboration.

Previously, during a meeting with Chinese Vice Prime Minister Ding Xuexiang in which Luo was also present, Tapia assured that even in the complex inflationary scenario, the largest of the Antilles is one of the nations in the Latin American region that invests the most in aid and social security.

“However, the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against our country constitutes the main obstacle to our development and, therefore, to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda,” he warned.

According to the leader, the limitations derived from this siege and the inclusion of Cuba in the arbitrary US list of countries sponsoring terrorism, “impact the national financial panorama that faces unstable, undiversified and unsustainable access to sources for finance development”.

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