Deputy Minister Kozák on a visit to Cuba and the Dominican Republic

"The main topics of the talks in Cuba were the resolution of Cuba's historical debt to the Czechia, the claims of Czech suppliers against Cuban entities and the issue of human rights. Finding a suitable solution is complicated due to the very difficult economic situation in which Cuba finds itself," said Deputy Minister Kozák. The discussion also focused on the development of trade and economic relations, particularly with regard to the development of micro, small and medium-sized businesses in Cuba.

Deputy Kozák also reminded the Cuban delegation, led by Deputy Anayansi Rodríguez Camejo, of Cuba's problematic compliance with its international human rights obligations and highlighted some specific cases of Cuban political prisoners. During his visit, he also met with representatives of civil society.

The second visit was to the Dominican Republic, where the first political consultations were held in Santo Domingo, following the two meetings of Foreign Ministers Jan Lipavský and Roberto Álvarez Gil last year. Deputy Minister Kozák met with his counterpart, Deputy Minister José Julio Gómez. "We talked mainly about the possibilities of developing trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, which is of interest to both sides," said Deputy Minister Kozák. The two sides also exchanged views on the current situation in the world, including Russian aggression in Ukraine and relations with China and Taiwan. "The Dominican Republic is an economic leader in the Caribbean region and a close ally of the EU on a number of international political issues," points out Kozák, who was also received by Foreign Minister Álvarez Gil.

Santo Domingo is home to the European Centre for Cyber Security in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC4), a project set up by the EU under the CyberNet programme. "Both the EU and the Latin American and Caribbean countries are very interested in expanding cooperation between the Centre and Czech specialised centres," says Deputy Minister Kozák, highlighting the potential for the involvement of Czech experts in this area.

Deputy Minister Kozák on a visit to Cuba and the Dominican Republic

Deputy Minister Kozák on a visit to Cuba and the Dominican Republic