Dennis Francis, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, arrived in Cuba today to carry out an official visit until June 29.
Upon his arrival at Terminal 3 of the José Martí International Airport, he was received by Ana Silvia Rodríguez Abascal, acting director general of Multilateral Affairs and International Law of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, and Francisco Pichón, resident coordinator of the United Nations Association in Cuba.
Speaking to reporters, Francis said this was an opportunity to discuss the challenges of today’s world, progress and sustainability, with an emphasis on strengthening multilateralism.
He referred to the expectation of holding in-depth dialogues on common ideas in international cooperation, ongoing regional and global challenges, the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and preparation for the Future Summit in September.
As President of the United Nations General Assembly, he declared his total rejection of the coup attempts that occurred in Bolivia and his position in favor of defending democracy, the legitimacy of the government and respect for the Constitution of the Bolivian nation.
In his extensive work agenda, he will meet with Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and President of the Republic, with Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, member of the Political Bureau of the PCC and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Tania Margarita Cruz, Deputy Minister of Public Health.
According to the program announced by her office, she will have an exchange with the resident coordinator of the United Nations Association in Cuba, Francisco Pichón, and other members of the organization in the largest of the Antilles, as well as representatives of the Federation of Cuban Women.
Another of the planned activities will be a keynote conference in the Aula Magna of the University of Havana with the theme Cuba and multilateralism: opportunities and challenges, with the participation of government officials, diplomats, young people, women leaders and academics.
Francis, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, assumed the Presidency of the 78th UN General Assembly in September 2023 with the theme Rebuilding trust and rekindling global solidarity: accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability.
