This Sunday, the Government of India sent to Cuba some 90 tons of pharmaceutical ingredients manufactured in the Asian country.
He did it as humanitarian assistance to the island, according to press reports.
“These active pharmaceutical ingredients will be used by Cuban drug manufacturers to produce essential antibiotics in the form of tablets, capsules, syrups and injections, necessary for the treatment of chronic communicable diseases,” explained the Indian Foreign Ministry, quoted by the agency. EFE.
The shipment departed this Sunday from the port of Mundra, in the western state of Gujarat, and according to Indian authorities it is a gesture that demonstrates its “commitment to historical friendship with Cuba.”
In addition, the aid reaffirms “India’s status as the Pharmacy of the World,” said the Foreign Ministry of the Asian country, according to Latin Press (PL).
India is one of Cuba’s top 20 trading partners, and among the 32 million dollars in exports to the island in the 2023-24 fiscal year, pharmaceutical and chemical products predominated, according to data from the Asian country’s Ministry of Commerce, he points out. EFE.
Beyond bilateral trade, New Delhi has granted important lines of credit for the execution of projects in the agricultural and renewable energy sectors.
Although the last visit at the highest level between leaders dates back to 2018, with the trip to Cuba of the then Indian president, Ram Nath Kovind, both countries maintain frequent contacts.
The Minister of State for Foreign and Cultural Affairs of India, Meenakashi Lekhi, visited the island in January 2023 to strengthen political dialogue and economic relations, recalls the Spanish media.
For its part, P.L. remember that diplomatic relations between Cuba and India will celebrate 65 years in 2025.
In this regard, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Indian Foreign Ministry, assured the Cuban agency that his country has “very strong and very friendly ties with Cuba.”
Cuba is currently going through a severe economic crisis that results in a chronic lack of basic products, including medicines.
The island has a renowned biopharmaceutical industry, but the shortage of raw materials, accentuated by United States sanctions and other difficulties, has hit it hard in recent years.
