The Director General of Political Planning of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Luis Achkienasi, today concluded a visit to Italy, during which he discussed issues of interest with his counterparts from the Italian Foreign Ministry.

Speaking to Prensa Latina, Achkienasi said that as part of his agenda, the day before he had been in contact with Giuliana del Papa, head of the Unit of Analysis, Programming, Statistics and Historical Documentation of the General Directorate of Public and Cultural Diplomacy of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Maeci).

At the meeting, which took place at the headquarters of the aforementioned organisation, the experiences in this field were discussed, and the interest of both parties in maintaining a positive relationship that will facilitate the deepening of existing ties was expressed.

In particular, the way in which analytical work is carried out and information products are produced in both ministries was evaluated, as well as the role of the so-called Think Tanks in support of this activity, with academic participation in research processes and the training of diplomatic personnel.

Of particular interest was the dialogue on the common difficulties faced by both entities in the processing of high volumes of data and the development of new tools to facilitate the work of specialists in activities such as the collection, retrieval and analysis of open information.

One of the common aims is to achieve greater use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support this task, he said.

Also last Monday, Achkienasi held a meeting with Laura Egoli, head of the Training Unit of the General Directorate of Resources and Innovation of Maeci, in which they discussed the training experiences in the foreign ministries of both countries.

In this contact, which took place in Villa Madama, headquarters of the aforementioned unit and the Mario Toscano Diplomatic Institute (ISDI), the points in common between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Italy and Cuba in the preparation of diplomatic officials in undergraduate and postgraduate courses were highlighted.

In summary, according to the Cuban diplomat, the fluid and cordial exchanges held during this visit enabled both parties to deepen their knowledge of good practices and to establish channels that can serve to strengthen interrelations and better understanding.