HAVANA, Cuba: Senator Einstein Louison and a four-member delegation from Grenada held discussions in Cuba on Tuesday with Colonel Luis Macareno, Deputy Chief of Civil Defence. The discussions focused on the devastation caused by Hurricane Ivan in Grenada and on the importance of mitigation efforts and disaster management in the event of future disasters. Cuba has pledged assistance and support to Grenada in the development of a system aimed at prevention, intervention and post disaster management. This will include focus on mitigation measures such as early warning, education and training of the population, and the development of a legal framework to guide the formation of the system. To this end the process of assistance will commence with an assessment to be undertaken by a Specialist from Cuba in the near future. The meeting was one of a series conducted with various Cuban officials in different areas of technical cooperation during the Eighth Meeting of the Cuba-Grenada Joint Commission currently taking place in Havana. The Joint Commission takes place annually and provides the framework within which technical cooperation proposals are discussed and tabled for implementation. Reprinted from Caribbean Net News caribbeannetnews.com