Indian Minister of External Affairs delivers donation to Cuba for victims of Hurricane Melissa

HAVANA, Cuba, November 11 (ACN) Pabitra Margherita, India's Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, officially delivered a donation of 20 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuban authorities.

The aid, which includes a mobile field hospital, is destined for the provinces affected by Hurricane Melissa.

The donation was delivered during a meeting with Deputy Prime Ministers Eduardo Martinez Diaz and Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga at the Council of Ministers headquarters in Havana, where the two sides discussed ways to strengthen ties in various areas.

Margherita told them that in the face of the devastating hurricane, it was his country's duty to show solidarity with Cuba, just as they have done for each other in international forums.

He reiterated that India will always stand by Cuba.

He emphasized that in his meeting on Monday with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, he explained that within the framework of multilateral cooperation and economic and trade relations, the Asian nation could promote tourism from its citizens to the Caribbean country.

The distinguished visitor pointed to other areas where ties could be expanded, such as culture, sports, the film industry (including film festivals), and television (through the exchange of telenovelas), all aimed at strengthening people-to-people relations.

Deputy Prime Minister Eduardo Martinez Diaz expressed his gratitude for the Asian nation's assistance and its condemnation of the U.S. blockade.

He explained Cuba's interest in expanding cooperation in the biotechnology industry, trade, and the acquisition of medicines, raw materials, and medical equipment.

He specified that the island could also export unique, innovative products to India and exchange resources in the fields of information technology, food production, the sugar industry, and renewable energy.

Regarding the humanitarian aid offer for the eastern region, Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, who also serves as Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, reported that the mobile field hospital is en route to the municipality of Rio Cauto in Granma province, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa.

He noted that between November 7 and 9, the Cuban personnel who will operate the hospital were successfully trained by specialists from the Asian nation.

Pabitra Margherita is on an official visit to Havana as part of the celebrations for the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.