Sponsored by the United Nations and several countries from Europe and Latin America, priorities of those projects include increasing food production, replacing imports and promoting export-oriented goods, besides supporting social works and programs.

The experts highlighted advances in the Cuba-Venezuela project in Sandino municipality, in the easternmost Cuban tip, which generates new jobs, besides improving health care, education, roads, public transport and the network of gastronomic facilities.

This experience of binational cooperation promotes the creation of vegetable gardens and farms, seeking more efficiency in agricultural productions as it provides the towns with technologies including modern irrigation systems, among other resources.

Refering to results of the Palma program, designed to support agricultural modernization, she said that it is a way to reduce food imports by increasing production.

It currently covers nine of 11 municipalities of Pinar del Rio province and constitutes an important link to obtaining, processing and marketing fresh agricultural and sea products, she said.

Another objective is the improvement of centers devoted to train technicians and specialists mainly in the agronomic and veterinary sectors.

The international assistance also aims restoration of towns damaged by recent hurricanes by improving construction capacities there.

In 2008, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike hit Pinar del Rio communities, 140 km east from Havana, causing damages to houses, schools and other social buildings.