Nigeria and Cuba have taken more steps to strengthen bilateral ties in the area of trade and investment as both countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for mutual benefits.
This was the crux of a meeting between Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar and his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla in Abuja on Monday.
The meeting also considered deepening cooperation and fostering stronger bilateral ties between both countries in other sectors like education, healthcare and cultural exchange.
During the discussions, both ministers acknowledged the historical and cultural connections between their countries, and affirmed their loyalty to the common elements of their heritage.
Amb. Tuggar highlighted the deep-rooted ties, stating that Cuba holds a special place in Nigeria’s diplomatic history as well as culture even as he lauded the role Cuba played in the liberation of African countries from the shackles of colonialism and the racist Apartheid regimes in South Africa.
He said, “Cuba played very prominent role in the liberation of African continent from the shackles of colonialism and championed the cause of freedom for African countries under the yoke of racist regime in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
“Cuba and Nigeria fought against racist regimes in Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe,” adding that the new pact will boost cooperation in the medical field, Science and Technology, research and development.
The Cuban foreign minister in his remarks, noted the connection between Cuba and Africa as deep, even as he expressed gratitude for Nigeria’s support to his country against the unilateral blockade imposed on it by the United States of America.
He said, “We feel that we are part of Africa, we are of African descent and we will always be loyal to this history. We have a debt of gratitude to the African nations especially Nigeria because of the side taken by your country on the issue of embargo against our country.”
