Havana, Jun 2 (ACN) Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade and Investment Deborah Rivas on Thursday extended the Cuban government’s gratefulness to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for a donation of medical resources to back the island’s struggle against COVID-19.
Cuba acknowledges the historic stance of Pakistan against the criminal US blockade, and its solidarity in the aftermaths of hurricanes which have inflicted damage on the island nation, said the Cuban government official.
The humanitarian assistance is an expression of current bilateral relations between the two nations, Rivas noted, and went on to ratify her government’s intentions to keep deepening bilateral cooperation and trade in sectors of mutual interest.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Charge d’ Affairs here Shabbir Ahmad said that the humanitarian shipment includes 40 lung ventilators, face masks and surgical and protection gowns for doctors and patients.
Shabbir Ahmad said that his people recall with gratitude the assistance they received from Cuban medical personnel led by then deputy foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez following quake that hit their nation in 2005.
The medical brigade, part of the Henry Reeve Contingent specialized in Disasters and Epidemics, treated 80 thousand patients in Pakistan and administered 7 thousand surgeries in tent hospitals and in two emergency camps set up in remote areas of that country.
Cuba and Pakistan maintain bilateral cooperation in education, sports and culture; some one thousand Pakistani students are taking higher education course on the Caribbean island nation.
