Cuba officially joined the Alliance for Energy of the Chinese Belt and Road project this Monday, Havana Ambassador in Beijing Carlos Miguel Pereira announced on his Twitter account.
During the second ministerial conference of that international platform, the Cuban diplomat stressed the importance of this platform to “expand and diversify” cooperation in this sector and “collectively overcome the challenges of world energy development,” Cubadebate reported.
At the event, held in the port city of Qingdao, Pereira invited Chinese companies and institutions and those from the rest of the member states to work in fields such as promoting green energy and inclusive access to energy services, the source indicated.
For his part, Cuban Minister of Energy and Mines Liván Arronte detailed the measures adopted by the island’s government to “develop renewable sources, promote the efficient use of those resources and achieve independence in this area.”
In his electronically broadcast speech, the Cuban head of the sector called on the 29 member countries of the group to encourage the promotion of international cooperation and solidarity in favor of developing countries.
The Belt and Road Energy Alliance was launched in October 2018, during the Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference in Suzhou, and officially launched in Beijing in April 2019.
China is currently one of the Caribbean island’s main political allies and its second trading partner. The Asian country is involved in several bilateral projects with Cuba, among which those of technological development stand out.
In the midst of a crisis due to a deficit in power generation, the island recently authorized the non-commercial import by individuals of photovoltaic systems, their parts and pieces, free of customs duties. The regulation aims to increase participation in the electric power generation matrix and advance the development of renewable energy sources in Cuba, according to official sources.
Currently the Caribbean nation relies mostly on fossil fuels and technologically aged plants for the generation of electricity. In this context, the authorities seek to promote clean energies, still insufficiently exploited despite the existing potential in the country.
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