CUBA : PRESIDENT Hussein Mwinyi has called upon G77 members to turn challenges currently facing the world into opportunities by being innovative and change the way they do things.
According to him, rising costs of living, inflation, political instability, effects of climate change and Covid-19 pandemic, are challenges that should be a lesson to members.
“All the challenges slowed down social and economic development in our countries. Let us turn this into opportunities by being innovative and change the way we do things,” said Dr Mwinyi in his speech at the G77+China Summit.
President Mwinyi is in Havana, Cuba representing President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the G77+China summit.
Giving an example, Dr Mwinyi said when Covid-19 hit the world manufacturers produced the Covid 19 vaccines and sold them at a high price, “This is a lesson to us…let us develop our science and technology.”
The Zanzibar President urged the countries of the G77+China to take challenges as a lesson and improve preparedness and never wait for help from developed countries, “enough is enough, we should learn how to address our problems.”
Dr Mwinyi met Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and conveyed greetings from Dr Samia, insisting that Tanzania/Cuba relations remained strong.
According to the press statement from State House, Dr Mwinyi also graced the official opening of the Tanzania embassy building in Cuba.
He commended the growing cooperation between Tanzania and Cuba, saying the relations between the two countries are stemmed from era of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and the first leader of the Cuban Revolution, the late Fidel Castro.
The embassy started working in 2019 but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the official opening ceremony was delayed. The ceremony was also attended by the Vice-President of Cuba, Salvador Mesa and other officials from Tanzania, including the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mr Steven Byabato.
At the new embassy in Cuba, Dr Mwinyi pointed out how Tanzania has been benefitting from the relations in various fields including health, education and agriculture.
For his part, the Cuban Vice-President reminded that the relationship between Tanzania and his country has lasted for 61 years now. He said in 1974 Mwalimu Nyerere visited Cuba and later in 1977 Conrad Fidel Castro visited Tanzania.
Earlier, the two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements between the two countries in the areas of higher education as well as cooperation between the University of Dar es Salaam and the University of Havana and Kiswahili language.
Source : Daily News
