Accompanied by the Governor of St. Petersburg, Díaz-Canel visited the Vertex pharmaceutical company today.
St. Petersburg, May 5 (RHC)-- Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited scientific and technological centers of international significance and importance for Russian-Cuban bilateral cooperation on Monday as part of his official visit to Russia.
Accompanied by the Governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, the Cuban president visited the premises of the Vertex pharmaceutical company, located in the Novoorlovskaya site of the city's Special Economic Zone.
During the tour, the president and the head of the so-called capital of the Russian North familiarized themselves with the company's line of finished products, which range from vital medicines to cosmetics. They also visited the production workshops and inspected the packaging line.
During the visit, both authorities and the accompanying delegations discussed topics related to actions to achieve greater development in cooperation between the pharmaceutical industries of St. Petersburg and Cuba. Díaz-Canel also visited the Vertex pharmaceutical company.
Díaz-Canel proposed to the Russian side that they resume the exchange of technologies, based on the high potential for research, development, and joint production of medicines and cosmetics that exists in both countries.
In this regard, he invited representatives of the St. Petersburg pharmaceutical industry to visit Cuban production facilities and participate in scientific conferences held on the Caribbean island. The Cuban dignitary also mentioned that Cuba also has a Mariel Special Economic Zone, located west of Havana, where biotechnology companies are located.
He cited as an example the presence in this enclave of centers where a hepatitis vaccine, a unique drug for the treatment of diabetic foot (Heberprot-P), and other globally recognized drugs have been developed.
"Vertex is a clear example of success in import substitution and the innovative development of our pharmaceutical industry," Beglov emphasized.
"The work of these companies confirms St. Petersburg's status as a leading center of the pharmaceutical industry in Russia. The company's specialists guarantee the availability of high-quality medical care for our citizens," he added.
In this regard, he highlighted that Vertex representatives established initial contacts with Cuban colleagues regarding the production of vitamins, pregnancy tests, other medical devices, and medications. Díaz-Canel and Beglov also toured the electromagnetic compatibility and climate testing laboratories, comprehensive testing centers, and innovative energy facilities at PJSC Rosseti's Intelligent Digital Grid Laboratory.
The visit served as a platform for discussing the expansion of cooperation between Russian and Cuban energy engineers in the areas of grid operation and development, the introduction of modern technologies, and ensuring the security of electrical facilities.
The St. Petersburg specialists invited their Cuban colleagues to implement joint educational projects, expand the exchange of information, and cooperate in the design and construction of power facilities, equipment testing, the introduction of digital technologies, and the solution to cybersecurity problems.
The Cuban president praised the level of expertise of PJSC Rosseti and expressed interest in utilizing the Russian city's advanced developments and its professionals.
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA ]
