Cuba, US sign oil spill recovery accord

Cuba and the US signed a cooperation agreement Monday on response to oil spills and their recovery.

The legally binding accord covers the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Strait, and will allow for rapid and effective response to minimize the damage that oil spills may cause to marine and coastal ecosystems, as well as to health and public welfare, according to Cuba's Prensa Latina.

Cuba and the US reestablished diplomatic ties in July 2015.

Jeffrey DeLaurentis, chargé d'affaires at the US embassy in Havana, was quoted as saying the agreement represents another step forward in the common effort to protect the marine environment in the Strait and Gulf.

Last October, Cuban, US and Mexican officials met to discuss the three nations' maritime boundaries in the so-called Eastern Polygon.

Cuban state oil firm Cupet said in October 2015 it planned to begin deepwater exploratory drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, possibly early this year, as part of its production-sharing contracts with Venezuela's PDVSA and Angola's Sonangol. Cuba produces about 45,000b/d of crude oil and 3Mm3/d of natural gas, according to official newspaper Granma.