Venezuela and Cuba signed 16 new cooperation agreements in a move that further boosts the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), a regional economic and social integration initiative launched by the two countries. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage attended the signing ceremony held in Caracas. The accords are far reaching in the fields of transport, finances, agriculture, mining, industry, tourism and electricity, according to reports. The agreements also include the possibility of setting up two joint ventures in transportation, particularly shipbuilding and port modernization. The production of stainless steel and ferrous nickel was part of an agreement in the field of mining…