President of India visits CIGB today to reinforce bilateral trade and scientific cooperation

Havana, June 22nd, 2018 - The 14th and current President of India, in office since July 25th 2017, Ram Nath Kovind (b. 1945) visited the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana, Cuba. President Ram Nath Kovind was received by the President of BioCubaFarma, Dr. Eduardo Martínez, and the General Director of the CIGB Dr. Eulogio Pimentel. This is a very important date in the agenda of Mr. Ram Nath Kovind during the state visit to Cuba started yesterday to strengthen bilateral trade and cooperation. The visit environment harmonized with good political relationship between both countries, which date back to 1959 when India was one of the first countries to recognize the Cuban Revolution. This time, the visit of the President of India was preceded by visits of business executives from India to BioCubaFarma’s institutions, looking for updating and strengthening relations dating back to the 90s.

An outstanding precedent was the visit of the Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Suresh Prabhu, to CIGB in November 1rst, 2017 to appreciate the high research standards and advancement achieved by this institution. In that meeting at CIGB, Mr. Shri Suresh Prabhu reiterated the potential of cooperation between the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry and the CIGB to find affordable health solutions. The CIGB has been working with Indian companies and research institutions from the 90s when projects of technology transfer were successfully completed to manufacture cutting-edge biotech products in India. In addition, hundreds of Indian scientists have been speakers from 1983 at the “Cuban Seminars on Interferon” and the International Congress “Biotecnología Habana”, where exchange of experience, results and knowledge have been abundant between experts from more than 50 countries.

Written by: José A. Buxadó, Assistant Researcher, CIGB.
Foto: Jesús Seoane Herrera
Contact:
Alyane Vazquez González, BA.
Communication & Media
Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Ave 31 e/ 158 y 190, Playa, P.O. Box 6162,
Habana 10600, Cuba.
e-mail: alyane.vazquez@cigb.edu.cu.

The Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) is an institution with a dynamic development that has reached a high level of research, development, production, and commercialization of biologicals obtained by methods of modern biotechnology based on the most advanced concepts of quality. Its performance is projected on the research generating knowledge for developing new products, services, and commercial activity, supported by a quality system that insure customer satisfaction, taking into account environmental issues. Its impact is driven to human health, agriculture, aquiculture, and the environment. The CIGB is an institution devoted to applied and basic research of life science (Science, Nov. 27th, 1998: 1626). Discovery, development, production, and commercialization of products derived from Biotechnology are among its best known priorities (Nature, Apr. 1rst, 1999, 398 (6726): A22). A highly qualified staff of more than 1 600 employees transform into reality a part of what was just an idea several decades ago: developing an industry based on science in a developing country under serious economic limitations coming from an intensive foreign economic and financial pressure with extraterritorial features (The Economist, Nov 27th, 2003).

Contact:
Alyane Vazquez González, BA.
Communication & Media
Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Ave 31 e/ 158 y 190, Playa, P.O. Box 6162,
Habana 10600, Cuba.
e-mail: alyane.vazquez@cigb.edu.cu.

This release was published on openPR.