Africa and Cuba can expand cooperation, ambassador says

Havana, May 23 (Prensa Latina) Africa and Cuba can currently expand cooperation, for example, in the pharmacological and biotechnological fields, especially in vaccine production, Ambassador of Benin Boniface Vignon said on Monday.

The ambassador told Prensa Latina on the occasion of Africa Day that “Cuba is the only Third Word country that could develop and produce up to five Covid-19 vaccines.” It even became a world leader regarding vaccination of its population. It is really an example, he considered.

“Then, we can carry out a more productive collaboration to attain pharmacological and biotechnological independence, especially in vaccine production, not to depend on western powers,” Vignon noted.

Cuba has always supported African nations, “in our struggles for independence from colonialism, and since then we have treasured fraternal, cultural, health relations which we can diversify in our economy,” he proposed. Regarding Africa Day, Vignon said that it is a day to “reflect on our problems, challenges and how to find solutions to keep moving forward; also to celebrate our achievements; it is a sort of assessment of what we have done for the past 52 years, since the creation of the Organization of African Unity (currently African Union).

In Cuba, the celebration started on May 19, with a busy agenda of events that includes lectures, visits to historic centers, solidarity meetings, tributes, workshops and musical galas through Wednesday, May 25.