Russia ratifies interest in expanding collaboration with Cuba | News

The Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Mishustin, ratified this Wednesday Moscow's willingness to expand collaboration with Cuba, even in strategic sectors such as oil exploitation, and stressed that bilateral trade grew nine times in the first four months of 2023 and will continue to expand. .

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During a working meeting in the city of Sochi with his Cuban counterpart, Manuel Marrero Cruz, Mishustin said that Russia attaches "great importance to carrying out large joint projects, conceived above all in the long term."

Among these, he mentioned "the recovery of oil in Cuban fields and the modernization of a metallurgical plant in the capital of that nation."

He stressed that despite an unfavorable situation, “bilateral trade last year amounted to almost 60,000 million rubles or more than 20,000 million pesos (more than 734 million dollars). This year the trend continues and from January to April trade grew nine times compared to the same period in 2022”.

He added that trade will continue to grow. He recalled that "Cuba is an important partner in Latin America" ​​and that bilateral cooperation is based on "solid traditions of friendship, solidarity, mutual respect and mutual trust", in addition to the fact that both countries face measures unprecedented unilateral restrictions, promoted by the United States and other nations.

Mishustin urged to intensify cooperation on tourism. In this sense, the flag carrier Aeroflot resumed its regular flights to Cuba as of June 1 and Russia wants to send about 500,000 Russian tourists to Cuba every year.

Likewise, he thanked the Cuban government for "providing preferential conditions to national companies to work in the Cuban market." He appreciated that it will help increase Russian investments.

During the meeting, Marrero Cruz reported that important agreements will be signed during his stay in Russia. In addition, he condemned Western sanctions and the Russophobia promoted by the US to isolate Russia globally.

By the way, he mentioned that after the Cuba-Russia business forum held last May, an information campaign to demonize Cuba began in the United States.

The Cuban head of government began his visit to Russia on Tuesday. He will remain in that country until June 17. He will speak at the Council of Heads of Government of the member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and then at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

At the end of May, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitri Chernishenko, told the Cuban Tourism Minister, Juan García Granda, that Russia plans to send up to half a million tourists a year to the Caribbean nation and seeks to become the main issuer of travelers to Cuba (today it is among the first four issuing markets).