AIN/afrol News, 17 October - Exactly on the day, 23 years after the first signature of a bilateral cooperation agreement between Cuba and Seychelles, the Ninth Mixed Intergovernmental Commission of the two states finished its work with the signature of new cooperation agreements.

Marta Lomas, heading Cuba's agency of Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration, and Patrick Pillay, Seychellois Minister of Public Health, have signed a protocol of economic and technical sciences collaboration, in addition to an agreement to fight drug traffics between the two countries.

- The present economic conditions of our two countries currently do not allow us to seek more than what we have reached, but we will continue working to fulfil all those issues we are still dreaming about, commented Ms Lomas after the agreements were signed.

- In these days of joint work we have felt the special affection of the Cubans towards the Seychellois, assured Mr Pillay at the end of the negotiations.

The agreements will allow the maintenance of 27 Cuban health workers in the Indian Ocean archipelago. More than 80.000 Seychellois - who inhabit the archipelago's 90 islands and small barren islands - are benefiting from the services of these Cuban health workers.

Cuba further committed itself to continue to open its universities to young people of that Seychelles. Meanwhile, the commercial sector was to benefit from the commercialisation of pharmaceutical products, medical equipment and elaborated products for human or animal use made on the Caribbean island state.

Also, the delegation from Seychelles had asked for Cuban support to develop its indigenous sectors of sport, culture, electrical industry, physical planning and construction.

Seychelles - which is located at about 1,500 kilometres off Madagascar - for decades has demonstrated an unrestricted support for the Cuban cause in international forums and organisms.

By Néstor Rius Martínez (AIN*)

© AIN/afrol News

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