Cuba will never be disappointed by cooperation with Belarus, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at an extended-participation meeting with Cuban President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez on 23 October, BelTA has learned. Belarus and Cuba are implementing a joint biotechnology project to develop crop protection products. Scientists of the two countries are currently carrying out the research.

Plans are in place to launch the production next year, Chairman of Belarus' State Science and Technology Committee Aleksandr Shumilin told journalists, BelTA has learned. The project is implemented by the Institute of Microbiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and Cuba's largest state biotechnology corporation BioCubaFarma. According to Aleksandr Shumilin, Belarus and Cuba have launched only a couple of joint projects in science and technology so far. “However, Belarusian and Cuban scientists are eager to work together on new products,” he noted. 

“Despite the sanctions, Cuba invests a lot in science because it understands that economy cannot grow without science. Cuba is interested in Belarusian agricultural and mechanical engineering technologies, and new materials. It is also curious about our solutions in healthcare, cancer treatment, and new medicines. We mostly synthesize medicines, while Cuban scientists make a lot of cancer drugs using natural extracts,” Aleksandr Shumilin said. Cuba is considered one of the world leaders in treating cancer, Belarus' Healthcare Minister Vladimir Karanik noted. 

“Cuba has developed some interesting solutions and medicines that are used in treating cancer and diabetes. Cuban scientists have started to work on new medicines and we hope to join them, carry out clinical trials and then start using these new solutions in Belarus,” he said. “We have not arrived at a decision yet, so I cannot reveal the names of the medicines. I can only say that these are innovative products,” Vladimir Karanik added.