Puerto Rico has taken the first steps toward opening a commercial office in Cuba, Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said on Saturday, on the sidelines of a Caribbean summit in Havana. Garcia Padilla is the first sitting Puerto Rican governor in history to visit Cuba, a "privilege" he said, telling journalist that local officials and the public had treated him warmly.
Garcia Padilla arrived in Havana on Thursday to attend as an observer Saturday's summit of the Association of Caribbean States, which includes as members and associate members virtually all Caribbean Basin nations, as well as a number of islands that are not independent.
"We have had meetings with various ministers, and last night I had the opportunity to share some words with President Raul Castro," Garcia Padilla said.
"We had on the agenda and achieved taking the first steps to open an office of Puerto Rico in Havana. What these offices do is promote trade and cultural exchanges," he said.
Puerto Rico has experienced a decline in tourism due to the Zika epidemic. It is expected to suffer further when US tourism opens up with Cuba.
Garcia Padilla said while Zika was a threat to pregnant women and those planning to become pregnant, it otherwise represented no danger for visitors, Public health, and in particular efforts in both countries to stem the spread of the Zika virus, was nevertheless on the governor's agenda.
"We had some initial discussions about how we can help each other as we always do with Caribbean countries to deal with natural disasters," Garcia Padilla said.
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