Lisbon - The president of the Portuguese Order of Nurses, Ana Rita Cavaco, has praised the progress made by Cuba in the health sector during a meeting with the island''s ambassador to Portugal, Johana Tablada.

According to a note from the Caribbean embassy, Dr. Cavaco also expressed an interest in the medical services offered by the Cuban nation, during the meeting held at Havana's diplomatic mission in Lisbon.

Cuba has maintained a medical mission in Portugal, the only one of its kind in Europe, as part of international collaboration between the two countries.

The island's doctors are located in rural areas of the country and enjoy a good reputation among their patients, the statement said.

Dr. Luis Barreira, vice president of the Nurses' Order, and Amor de los Angeles Vega, head of the Cuban medical mission in Portugal, also attended the meeting.

The Order of Nurses, a public institution that has more than 40,000 members, supports the development of the profession.