The dialogue will take stock of the progress towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals in Cuba and the EU.

The meeting will review alignment of cooperation activities with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Best ways of working together will be explored to further the global agenda within regional and global UN forums.

Mr Manservisi’s visit to Cuba will also launch agreements for projects in food security, energy and climate change, economic modernisation, and regional culture, including:

• €19.65 million for sustainable food security and €2 million to boost resilience, food and nutrition security in seven communities in central Cuba affected by drought and Hurricane Irma;
• €4 million to use renewable energy to boost Cuba’s energy resilience in extreme weather events;
• €10.5 million to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy use for local development;
• three projects totalling around €4 million to support economic modernisation; and
• €15 million for the Cuba-Caribbean Culture Programme.

The Sustainable Development Dialogue stems from the EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement. The agreement, under application since November 2017, is designed to open up more opportunities for cooperation between the EU and Cuba. This latest dialogue completes the first round of five new political dialogues – on human rights, unilateral coercive measures, control of conventional arms, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

More information:

EU cooperation with Cuba

EU-Cuba Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement:

Press release - EU-Cuba: new landmark agreement entering into force on 1 November 2017

Initialing Ceremony of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between Cuba and the European Union