Cuba and South Africa reaffirm interest in deepening ties

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 23 (ACN) Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez and South Africa's minister of international relations and cooperation, Naledi Pandor ratified today the interest in deepening economic, trade and cooperation ties.

As reported by the Cuban foreign minister on Twitter, during the meeting, both parties noted with satisfaction the excellent state of political relations.

This year Cuba and South Africa celebrated 28 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, a period in which bilateral cooperation has been present in fields such as health services, education, sports, infrastructure development, housing, water and sanitation.

Likewise, the African nation has maintained its support to Cuba in the battle for the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the U.S. government.

Diplomatic ties between both countries, formalized on May 11, 1994 by presidents Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela, had already been strengthened in the battlefields, where almost half a million combatants from Cuba joined their efforts in the struggle against apartheid and foreign occupation in the African continent.