NEW ORLEANS – Mayor Mitch Landrieu will travel to Cuba as part of a U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) delegation trip from Wednesday, May 25 through Saturday, May 29, 2016. While in Cuba, Mayor Landrieu will meet with government officials in Havana and visit some of Cuba’s most important political, economic and cultural organizations, including Mariel Port. Topics of discussion with local leaders will include economic development, education, healthcare, infrastructure and transportation. This trip marks the first official USCM delegation trip to Cuba since 1978. Landrieu is currently the Second Vice President of USCM.
“The City of New Orleans and Cuba share cultural and commercial connections that date back to our City’s founding in 1718,” Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. “As the United States continues to increase diplomatic relations with Cuba, we remain poised to develop robust trade relations and cultural exchanges that will subsequently increase overall economic activity for our region. It is a privilege to join other top officers from the U.S. Conference of Mayors on this mission. This type of proactive international collaboration creates more peaceful, prosperous and resilient communities around the world.”
In addition to Mayor Landrieu, attendees include USCM President Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, USCM Vice President Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, and USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran.
USCM is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor.
This trip is arranged in partnership with the Center for Democracy in the Americas which is providing mayors with an opportunity to examine the economic changes underway in Cuba, gain an appreciation of the challenges faced by the Cuban people every day and consider how U.S.-Cuba relations can further evolve.
Over the past two years, Mayor Landrieu has met with senior Cuban officials, such as Ambassador José Ramón Cabañas Rodríguez, and local leaders to discuss partnership opportunities between New Orleans and Cuba, such as increasing economic activity between the Port of New Orleans and Cuba as well as the nation’s participation in the 2017 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the commemoration of the City’s 300th Anniversary in 2018.
