Cuba, Finland to resume bilateral cooperation

shanghaidaily

www.prensa-latina.cu

HAVANA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cuba and Finland signed an agreement here Tuesday to resume bilateral cooperation after the two nations decided to restore relations last year.

The document was signed by Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra Diaz and visiting Finnish Secretary of Foreign Affairs Pertti Torstila.

Helsinki and Havana established diplomatic ties on April 5, 1929. But the bilateral relationship had been suspended for more than a decade after European Union members, including Finland, adopted a Common Position in 1996 to press Cuba for changing its political system.

Last year the two sides decided to resume ties, and head of the Cuban Institute of Cinema Art and Industry (ICAIC), Omar Gonzalez, traveled to Finland to promote new projects between the institute and Finland' s Aalto University School of Art and Design.

During the trip, Gonzalez also met with Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, head of the Finland-Cuba Parliamentary Friendship Group.