Havana - Cuba will participate in the 50th Pacific Islands Forum to be held August 13-16 in the Republic of Tuvalu, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minrex) announced Saturday.

The Cuban delegation will be headed by Emilio Lozada, director general of Bilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting constitutes the main space for discussions and political exchange in the Pacific region, which gathers 14 small island states, as well as observers and dialogue partners, a status that Cuba has held since 2013, according to a Minrex statement.

The central issue of the annual meeting on this occasion is 'Securing the future in the Pacific' and will focus on the agreement of positions on confronting climate change, the protection of oceans and maritime borders, fishing and regional security, as well as the strengthening of cooperation for development.

The Cuban delegation will share experiences on the common challenges faced by small island states, and will hold meetings with leaders of the region.

The Minrex Director of Bilateral Affairs will also visit Fiji.