Belarus, Cuba discuss prospects for cooperation in science

MINSK, 25 November (BelTA) – Deputy Chairperson of the State Committee on Science and Technology (SCST) of Belarus Tatyana Stolyarova and Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba Armando Rodriguez Batista discussed the prospects of cooperation during a meeting on 25 November, BelTA learned from the SCST press service.

Attending the meeting was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Cuba to Belarus Santiago Perez Benitez.

Tatyana Stolyarova told her Cuban counterparts about the development of science and innovations in Belarus and informed them about the State Committee on Science and Technology activities.

“The State Committee on Science and Technology and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba have longstanding relations and effective cooperation in science and technology. In 2016, the first meeting of the joint Belarusian-Cuban commission on cooperation in science and technology took place in Havana, where participants outlined promising areas of cooperation in science, technology, and innovations. A competition of joint scientific and technical projects resulted in the implementation of the project “Development of microbial preparations to protect economically important vegetable crops from diseases”. The implementation of the executive program of the Cuban-Belarusian cooperation in science, technology and innovations in 2020-2022 approved at the second meeting of the commission, is on the home stretch,” said Tatyana Stolyarova.

Keeping in mind the experience of joint activities and achieved results, the deputy chairperson of the SCST voiced proposals to boost cooperation in science and technology between the countries. The proposals included the organization of the third meeting of the commission, developing the draft executive program of Cuban-Belarusian cooperation in science, technology and innovations in 2023-2025, and a new contest for joint scientific and technological projects in 2024-2025.

In turn, the deputy minister of science, technology and environment and the Cuban ambassador to Belarus expressed interest in expanding mutually beneficial scientific and technical cooperation and supported the voiced proposals.

The parties also discussed the possibility of joint events to promote contacts between the scientific and business communities, exchange of experience in personnel training, forecasting innovations in science and many more.