Brussels, 07/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - Students and academic staff in Latin America will have more opportunities to study or train in European universities thanks to the new Erasmus+ programme. This is the message to be sent out of the Cubans by the commissioner with responsibility for education, Androulla Vassiliou, at the ninth international higher education congress to be held in Havana from 10 to 14 February. Similarly, students and academic staff of the European Union will have new opportunities to study or train in universities of Latin America. “Erasmus+ is proof of Europe's commitment to reinforcing academic cooperation with Latin America, on the basis of links which already exist between our higher education establishments”, said the commissioner. Vassiliou will meet several representatives of the Cuban government: Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez, Minister for Higher Education Rodolfo Alarcon Ortiz, Minister for Education Elsa Velazquez, Culture Minister Rafael Benral, and Minister for External Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca. Since 2004, more than 8,000 students and academic staff from Latin America have enjoyed European support to study or train in a country of the EU thanks to the former programme, Erasmus Mundus, which is now part of Erasmus+. (IL/transl.fl)