Germany’s Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister of Economy and Energy, Sigmar Gabriel, arrived to Cuba on the morning of January 6, making an official visit to the island.
Gabriel was received by Rogelio Sierra, Cuba’s deputy minister of Foreign Relations. On his first visit to Cuba, the Vice Chancellor was accompanied by various German businesspeople.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Relations official website (Cubaminr ex) – in addition to other scheduled activities – the German representative will hold official conversations with Bruno Rodríguez Pa rri lla, Cuban minister of Foreign Relations.
The Vice Chancellor’s visit comes at a time when relations between Havana and Berlin are developing positively.
In July 2015, German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, made a visit to the island. A mechanism for political exchanges between both ministries was established at that time, while cooperation ties were strenthened with the signing of a Joint Statement on Cooperation.
Likewise, the two countries have ample potential to develop relations in sectors such as the economy, developmental collaboration, science, education, culture and sports, among others.
Cuba and Germany established diplomatic relations on July 22, 1953, which were later broken on January 15, 1963 as a reaction by the Federal Republic of Germany to Cuba’s recognition of the Democratic Republic of Germany. Relations were finally restored on January 18, 1975.
(Granma)