VENEZUELA, 18 January, 2008.- Relations between Venezuela and Cuba have been the motor for Latin American integration, said Cuban Minister of Foreign Investment and Economic Collaboration Martha Lomas at the signing ceremony of new agreements on Thursday. Speaking at the Eighth Joint Commission of the Integral Cooperation Agreement between the two countries held in Caracas, Lomas said the important part is not signing documents, but making the projects a reality. She highlighted the progress in cooperation, which she said encompasses practically all socioeconomic areas, with a special emphasis on health, education sports, energy and agriculture. Lomas told the Cuban press that 26 joint ventures have been created as part of the growing ties of exchange and that 10 more are in the negotiation phase. In all, 76 projects were presented at the commission meeting, mainly in the production of sugar and its by products, totaling some US $1.355 billion involving 18 Venezuelan and 21 Cuban ministries and with the participation of more than 60 institutions from both countries. Energy and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez, president of the PDVSA oil corporation, signed the document for Venezuela. He praised the work of the joint commission and termed the exchange between Cuba and Venezuela as "cooperation among revolutionaries." Also attending the signing ceremony were Cuban Ambassador to Caracas German Sanchez, Ammar Jabour, coordinator of the Cuba-Venezuela agreement, and other officials from both countries. (Cubaminrex-Granma)
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