On July 12, Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, a Council of Ministers vice president, received Mario Giro and Ivan Scalfarotto, Italy’s deputy minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and deputy secretary of Economic Development, respectively.
During the meeting, and as part of the implementation of the Multilateral Agreement signed between Cuba and the Paris Club ad-hoc group of creditor nations, four agreements restructuring Cuba’s debt with Italy were signed; including accords related to medium and long-term repayments; debts linked to Official Development Assistance, and those incurred with the Italian export credit agency SACE; as well as the creation of a Cuba-Italy Bi-national Committee.
As such, Cuba has now restructured its medium and long-term debt with 12 of the 14 Paris Club creditor nations, opening up new opportunities for the island to secure financing for projects linked to the country’s economic and social development plans.
During the meeting the two parties highlighted the positive state of bilateral relations, which have continued to be strengthened following a visit by the President of Italy’s Council of Ministers, Matteo Renzi, to the island in October 2015, and discussed opportunities for cooperation across various spheres of economy, trade and investment.
Also representing Italy at the meeting were Alessandro Decio, CEO of SACE and Italian Ambassador to Cuba, Carmine Robustelli, among other officials.
Participating on the Cuban side were Alba Soto Pimentel, Cuban ambassador to Italy; Amelia Morales Domínguez, deputy minister of Economy and Planning; Aleida González Mesidor, vice president of the National Bank of Cuba; Yamila Fernández del Busto, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment; Elio Rodríguez Perdomo and Manuel Pírez Pérez, directors for Europe and Canada and International Law at the Ministry of Foreign Relations, respectively.
