DÍAZ-CANEL MEETS WITH OLAF SCHOLZ IN BRUSSELS

HAVANA, Jul 18. Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel and  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a meeting on Tuesday within the framework of the EU-Celac Summit, which is being held in Brussels, to “expand bilateral ties” between the two countries.

The island president stressed the “willingness” of both parties “to deepen the political dialogue,” Díaz-Canel highlighted on his Twitter account.

In the same sense, the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, who is part of the Cuban delegation present in the community capital, assured on his social networks that during the meeting the two heads of government agreed that the “existing opportunities to expand bilateral ties in areas of mutual interest” should be “taken advantage of.”

This is Díaz-Canel’s first formal meeting with a European leader after the start of the summit last Monday.

Before the start of the work, the Cuban leader held a meeting with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel.

With Michel Díaz-Canel, he highlighted “the importance” that the island gives to “the implementation” of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (ADPC) -provisionally in force since November 1, 2017- and “the will to continue promoting economic, commercial and cooperation ties” between the Twenty-seven and the Caribbean country, according to the Cuban head of state.

In his speech this Tuesday, Díaz-Canel regretted before the leaders of the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) that the region had not been a “real priority” for the European bloc, and called for promoting better, “more fair and balanced” relations. EFE