Cuba, Netherlands Agree To Boost Cooperation

Cuba, Netherlands Agree To Boost Cooperation

HAVANA, May 15 (BERNAMA-NNN-XINHUA) -- Cuba and the Netherlands signed
an agreement Tuesday to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation in
various fields including healthcare, trade and investment, the Foreign
Ministry said.

The document, signed by Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra and Karel
van Ooesterom, director general for political affairs of the Dutch
Foreign Ministry, shows the two nations' common interests in promoting
and developing cooperation in various fields, it said.

The pact covers trade and investment, agriculture, water resources,
healthcare and biotechnology, culture and sports, among others.

Van Ooesterom began the Cuba trip Monday, following a visit by European
Union (EU) official Christian Leffler to analyse the details of a
possible cooperation agreement between Cuba and the EU that would
replace the EU's so-called "Common Position".

The document, approved by EU foreign ministers in 1996, encourages
"transformation process" in Cuba and is rejected by Havana as
interference in its internal affairs.

For that matter, Cuba and the EU suspended their relationship in 2003
and it was resumed in 2008.

Since then, Havana has signed agreements with some 15 European countries.

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