A Total of 28 Ministers Confirm Presence in Havana’s International Health Convention

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 24 (acn) Cuba’s Deputy Health Minister, Doctor Marcia Cobas, announced that 28 ministers have already confirmed their attendance to the International Health Convention that will be held in this capital on April 20-24.

Over 600 papers by foreign delegates have been received and a dozen of the world’s most prestigious medical sciences publishing houses will be present, among them three of the United States, specified the Deputy Minister.

The 13th edition of the Health for All Commercial Fair will be held parallel to this meeting, at Havana’s Pabexpo Pavilion, in which 25 nations will be represented, including Cuba, and will contribute to boost negotiations and the commercialization of the island’s medical services, emphasized Cobas.

From now on, the Fair –the last edition of which took place 10 years ago - will take place every two and a half years, she added.

In statements to ACN, Doctor Iliana Morales, executive secretary of Cuba/Salud 2015 recalled that in 2005 Health for All was attended by a high number of international entrepreneurs and that on this occasion there will also be keynote lectures, round tables and business rounds.

The Convention will welcome over 1,000 delegates from all parts of the world, more than 400 of them Cubans, while over 100 personalities have confirmed their participation, concluded Doctor Morales.

City Historian Eusebio Leal Receives Acknowledgement of the Dominican Senate

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 24 (acn) Havana City Historian Eusebio Leal received on Tuesday an acknowledgement given by the Senate of the Dominican Republic, for his willingness, sacrifice and commitment to the preservation of Cuba’s historic heritage, the Prensa Latina news agency reported.

The ceremony was scheduled for the Juan Pablo Duarte Multipurpose Hall of the National Congress Palace in Santo Domingo, where Leal gave a lecture entitled "Historic relation between Cuba and the Dominican Republic.”

Later, he was invested with the Honoris Causa Doctorate by the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, where he also gave a lecture for professors and students.

The Cuban historian was received on Tuesday by Dominican President Danilo Medina at the National Palace, and on Wednesday he will take part in the ceremony to mark the 120th anniversary of the Manifesto of Montecristi.

Cuban Medical Professionals Return from Africa

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 23 (acn) Following a successful mission against Ebola in Africa, 150 Cuban medical professionals returned home, 98 of them worked in Sierra Leone and 52 in Liberia.

The medical brigade arrived at early hours Monday at the Juan Gualberto Gomez international airport in Varadero, western Matanzas province, after a nearly five-month mission that contributed to save over 400 lives threatened by the Ebola virus in Africa.

They are part of the Henry Reeve International Contingent, which groups 256 medical workers, who traveled to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea following the call by the United Nations and the World Health Organization to fight the lethal disease in those African nations.

Following their arrival here, the medical personnel will be submitted to an epidemiological control established for all persons coming from countries affected by the Ebola virus.

Cuba and the EU to Continue Holding Constructive Talks

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 24 (acn) Cuba renewed on Tuesday in this capital its constructive commitment to the process of negotiation for an ongoing agreement of a political dialogue and bilateral cooperation with the European Union (EU).

Bruno Rodriguez, member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party and Minister of Foreign Affairs, expressed at his Ministry that the process will have positive results, while receiving Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU, and Vice-president of the European Commission.

I’m conviced that bases agreed for relations between the EU and Cuba and for these negotiations, of sovereign equality, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs, will lead us to a beneficial end, said Rodriguez.

He expressed his appreciation for the vote of the member states of that community at the U.N. General Assembly in October, against the economic, financial and commercial blockade of the United States against Cuba.

Federica Mogherini is on her first official visit to Cuba and coincided with Rodriguez in the need to continue political and cooperation talks.

My presence in Havana responds to the willingness the two parties have to continue holding these talks, she pointed out, and suggested the possibility of exploring the signing of other agreements.

Cuba has diplomatic relations with the EU since 1988 and its bilateral relations began a new stage in April, 2014, with the opening of the process of negotiations o fan Agreement of Political Dialogue and Cooperation between the two parties, which represented the beginning of the ed of unilateral policies towards the island.

Cuba and UNESCO to Deepen Diplomatic and Cooperation Links

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 24 (acn) Cuba and the UN Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO) reiterated in Paris their willingness to keep strengthening diplomatic and cooperation relations.

The statement was made during a meeting between UNESCO´s director general Irina Bokova and Cuban ambassador to that organization Dulce Maria Buergo, who presented her credentials before the UN official.

The meeting focused on major issues on the UNESCO agenda, including development post 2015, in which the island has played a major role in boosting and defending education, science and culture as part of that effort, according to the permanent Cuban mission.

Cuba has been an UNESCO member state since August 29, 1947. This year, the island has joined commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the UN organization with a large agenda of activities.