HAVANA, CUBA.- United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres highlighted Cuba's leadership at the helm of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) during its pro tempore presidency.

Since 2018, when it took the leadership of that organization, Cuba has contributed to move forward in a community committed to equality, sustainable development and cooperation, Guterres said at his opening speech at the 38th ECLAC Session.

The UN chief added that he was in Havana when Cuba took over the leadership of that Commission, but they are meeting virtually now, in a very different context due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But distance will not undermine the determination to confront this crisis, Guterres stressed.

The meeting, which opened on Monday, is the most important event of ECLAC, where Cuba handed over the group's pro tempore presidency to Costa Rica.