UN secretary-general arrives in Cuba for regional

HAVANA –Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Monday met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who arrived on an official visit to participate in the 37th session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). 

On his arrival in the capital, Guterres was welcomed by Diaz-Canel with military honors at the Palace of Revolution, the seat of the government. 

According to an official release, the two leaders later held talks in private, exchanging opinions on international peace and security issues, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and climate change. 

They also talked about the economic and social reform process started by former President Raul Castro in 2010. Earlier, Guterres paid tribute to the island's national hero, Jose Marti, laying a flower wreath at Havana's Revolution Square. 

He also toured Old Havana, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982, where he commended the restoration work in the oldest part of the capital. Guterres praised the conservation work which has been carried out despite the island's economic difficulties and the protracted economic blockade imposed by the United States. 

"This is a true donation from the Cuban people to the whole world and as secretary-general of the United Nations, I want to pay tribute and thank (for) this absolutely magnificent work," he said. Guterres will deliver a keynote speech at the opening of the 37th ECLAC session Tuesday.Enditem 
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