The Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, received in Caracas the Cuban Vice Prime Minister, Alejandro Gil, who

today began an official working visit to deepen the strategic ties of cooperation between the two countries, established 20 years ago.

Venezolana de Televisión

broadcast images of the moment in which the high dignitary received at her headquarters the also Minister of Economy and Planning of the largest of the Antilles.

Alejandro Gil traveled accompanied by a government delegation that includes the Cuban ambassador to Venezuela, Dagoberto Rodríguez, and will develop an intense work schedule with the Venezuelan authorities, the source said.

The two countries maintain a broad exchange of cooperation in different sectors that include health, economy, education, sports and culture of both peoples, and among the purposes of the Cuban leader's visit is to review and strengthen strategic alliances.

The

Comprehensive Cuba-Venezuela Cooperation Agreement

emerged in October 2000 at the initiative of commanders Fidel Castro (1926-2016) and Hugo Chávez (1954-2013) under the principles of solidarity, fraternity and complementarity.

In its two decades of implementation, it has been strengthened despite the challenges imposed by the US blockade against both countries, increased in recent years with new coercive measures that violate the principles of international law and the peaceful coexistence of peoples.

Venezuelan authorities recognize Havana's contribution in confronting the COVID-19 pandemic and recently Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel thanked the help provided by Caracas to contain the fire at the supertanker base in Matanzas province.

Official data from the Island revealed that

until October of last year, official cooperation projects totaled 1,487 and more than 255,000 collaborators served on land in Bolívar.

Diplomatic sources informed Prensa Latina that the high-ranking Caribbean official's agenda includes a visit to the Salvador Allende Comprehensive Diagnostic Center and an exchange with collaborators from the largest Caribbean island.

(With information from Prensa Latina)