GG News Bureau
Rio de Janeiro, 7th July: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, reaffirming India-Cuba cooperation across key sectors including digital infrastructure, healthcare, and climate change.
This was the leaders’ second meeting, following their earlier interaction at the 2023 BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, where Cuba was a special invitee.
The two sides reviewed progress in economic collaboration, development partnership, fintech, capacity building, science and technology, disaster management, and healthcare. Notably, President Díaz-Canel expressed keen interest in India’s Digital Public Infrastructure and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system, recognizing its transformative impact on financial inclusion.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed Cuba’s recognition of Ayurveda and offered India’s assistance in integrating the traditional system into Cuba’s public healthcare. He also proposed official recognition of Indian pharmacopoeia, which would facilitate the entry of Indian generic medicines into the Cuban market.
Both leaders pledged to deepen cooperation in global forums and jointly address concerns of the Global South, particularly in areas such as health, pandemic preparedness, and climate resilience.
