Named ‘Program for the ecological transition towards sustainable municipalities in Cuba’, the initiative that will benefit more than half a million Cubans (531,266) is coordinated by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the European Union and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The project, which was presented this day at the National Hotel of Cuba, has among its objectives to increase food production with agro-ecological bases in the communities, access to clean energies, as well as to boost the capacities of the different players in the economy of each region.
Guanabacoa, in Havana; Isla de la Juventud; Marti, in Matanzas; Manicaragua and Remedios, in Villa Clara; and Yaguajay, Trinidad and Cabaiguán, in Sancti Spíritus; are the territories where the actions will be developed.
According to the European Union ambassador in Cuba, Isabel Brilhante, this is a unique opportunity in the Caribbean nation to generate significant long-term social impacts.
In the framework of our programs for collaboration with the Caribbean nation, which covers a cycle until 2027, this project was approved, which goes hand in hand with the priority given by the Cuban government to the promotion of decentralization of municipalities and what is very relevant in this idea, will be to try to give a voice to the territories so that they have an identification of their concrete priorities and possible specific solutions,’ the diplomat explained to Prensa Latina.
The initiative, coordinated on the Cuban side by the Ministry of Economy and Planning and the Ministry of Science and Technology and Environment, through its Center for Local and Community Development, has a global financing of 32.8 million euros, provided by the European Union (31 million euros), the AICS (1.7 million euros) and UNDP (150 thousand euros).
For his part, the Italian Ambassador to Cuba, Roberto Vellano, highlighted the excellent level of relations between his country and the Caribbean island, as well as the different cooperation intentions in sectors such as agriculture, local development, renewable energies and the protection and promotion of cultural heritage.
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