Press Release

Cuban Vice-President visits OFID
Lage and OFID discuss future collaboration

 

47/2006 May 17, 2006, Vienna, Austria
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Mr. Jamal Nasser Lootah, Chairman of the Governing Board of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and Mr. Suleiman J. Al-Herbish, OFID Director-General were honored to welcome HE Carlos Lage Davila, Vice President of Cuba and his accompanying delegation, comprising HE Felipe Perez Roque Minister of Foreign Affairs, and HE Norma Goicochea Estenoz, Ambassador of Cuba to Austria.

In his welcome address to the distinguished visitors, Mr. Lootah thanked the Vice-President for taking the time out of his hectic schedule to pay a visit to OFID. The delegation attended a presentation covering OFID’s activities in Cuba. “After only four years, OFID and Cuba have established an important and dynamic level of cooperation...both have been in constant collaboration in boosting the country’s key sectors,” explained OFID.

Afterwards, Mr. Lage stated that OFID was a “unique organization” and was one of the few institutions left in the world that offered such concessional and untied aid. He said that OFID was “an example of true and effective help to development” and added that “ Cuba wishes to strengthen relations and make the commitment for the efficient implementation of all projects.” Mr. Lage spoke about the OFID financed initiatives with Cuba, all of which were “proceeding very well.” The Vice-President referred to a recently-implemented scheme to modernize and expand the electricity network in the capital Havana. Efficient energy was vital for the developing world, the Vice-President asserted and briefed OFID about the Cuban government’s “Energy Revolution Plan” which “revolved not around energy consumption but rather energy conservation.”

In addition to the energy project, OFID has supported Cuba in enhancing the water supply and sanitation and agriculture sectors. The country has also benefited from an emergency grant to aid hurricane victims, while another went towards an initiative to renovate historic buildings in Havana.

The Cuban delegation was in Vienna on the occasion of the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, which was held last week.