The head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Maria Contreras-Sweet, concluded her working visit to Cuba where she met with several authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) confirmed.
The MINREX report states that during her two-day visit here, the U.S. leader held meetings with Minister for Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca, as well as the ministers of Interior Trade, and Labor and Social Security.
In her meeting with Malmierca, Contreras-Sweet learned about the updating of the Cuban economic model, the National Plan for Economic and Social Development until 2030, and the role the different economic managements are playing on it, the note says.
She also received an explanation of the obstacle the economic, financial and commercial blockade represents for the progress of the Cuban economy and the relations with the United States.
During her stay on the island, the visitor toured the Mariel Special Development Zone, west of Havana. There, she learned about its functioning, the regulatory framework and investment opportunities.
Contreras-Sweet also visited the Office of the Historian of the City, and received an explanation on the development plans of the historical district of Old Havana.
Contreras-Sweet has been SBA administrator and a member of President Barack Obama cabinet since April 2014.
Cuba and the United States restored diplomatic relations on July 20, 2015, and began a complex process towards the normalization of their relations, after more than 50 years of breaking-off by a Washington decision.