The document was signed by Japan’s ambassador to Cuba, Masuo Nishibayashi, and Cuba’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca.

One of the projects seeks to strengthen the production of certified seeds for popular rice and another one the farming of marine species. The two initiatives are aimed at achieving self-sustainability in food production.

The agreement also includes actions for the development and exploitation of underground water sources in regions prone to droughts and for the comprehensive management of solid waste in Havana.

After signing the document, the Japanese diplomatic expressed his government’s interest to continue strengthening technical cooperation with Cuba.

Malmierca assessed Japan’s cooperation to a high degree, for its high technical level and significant impact in the improvement of the skills of Cuban professionals.

Since 1961, when Japan granted scholarships to Cuban students for the first time, to date, technical cooperation with that Asian nation amounts to an equivalent of 32 million U.S. dollars.

Until March 2008, around 600 Cuban scholarship holders had studied in Japan, while 43 experts from that country have been sent to Cuba to provide technical assistance. Japan has also donated equipment worth 140 million Yens (more than 1.5 million USD).