Before the satisfied gaze of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Chernishenko, Miguel Díaz-Canel assured this Friday “Cuba’s unconditional support for the Russian Federation in its confrontation with the West”. The declaration of loyalty, offered in the 1930 room of the Hotel Nacional, crowned the signing of eight important agreements related to business cooperation, macroeconomics, artificial intelligence, the supply of wheat, the development of the joint venture, among others, in addition of an Action Plan that will govern the “Strategic Alliance” between both countries until 2024.
Chernishenko’s visit demonstrates “all the understanding that the Russian Federation, and in particular President Putin, has had for the situation in Cuba and the will to give an intense follow-up rhythm to all the agreements,” continued Díaz-Canel, who asked Russia for “comprehensive solutions to Cuba’s problems” and promised “mutual benefit.”
“We are highlighting the important role of the Russian Federation in the goal of achieving a multipolar world, not a hegemonic one,” he settled, celebrating the conversation with Chernishenko as “a great opportunity.” However, a 24-second cut in the recording broadcast by Cuban Television prevented the rest of the president’s speech from being heard, which was not transcribed in the other official media either.
A 24-second cut in the recording broadcast by Cuban Television prevented the rest of the president’s speech from being heard, which was not transcribed in the other official media either.
The Russian deputy prime minister, for his part, did not mince words. For Putin, the Havana regime is a “trustworthy friend” in the Latin American region, but it is essential “to draw up a road map to incorporate these preferences, which might need some changes in Cuban legislation.” Although he did not detail what these “changes” the Kremlin expects, he promised a meeting at the highest level between the two governments, scheduled for June.
The Intergovernmental Commission gathered to guarantee the agreements of the Cuba-Russia Business Economic Forum, held this week in Havana with the presence of more than 150 Russian and Cuban businessmen, completes the cycle of approaches to Moscow initiated by Díaz-Canel in November, when traveled to the Russian capital as part of his “alms tour” to allied countries.
The link with the Government of Vladimir Putin, discredited internationally after his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has been affirmed since then until reaching, according to Díaz-Canel, the “very particular, very special” moment that relations are now experiencing. bilaterals between both nations.
There was no shortage, during the meeting, of allusions to Fidel Castro, who also positioned himself as an unconditional ally of the Kremlin until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
In the Business Forum, which was also attended by the Cuban Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, and the Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Ricardo Cabrisas, future agreements were negotiated in the fields of transportation, agriculture, innovation, transformation digital, construction and tourism.
During the meetings, Cabrisas pointed out that Russia will occupy a privileged place of participation in the National Economic and Social Development Plan until 2030 on the Island. In addition, he argued that Havana is interested in “reversing the existing imbalance” in trade between the two countries. , but did not explain how he intended to achieve it.
Of course, he affirmed that the Island expected “significant” help from its ally in issues of “oil supply, raw materials and technology, in the change of the energy matrix and in tourism, with the issuance of tourists.”
In this sense, Chernishenko assured the Cuban Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos García Granda that Russia hoped to send up to half a million visitors to Cuba annually, to recover its status as the first issuer of tourists to the Island. “We support the aspiration of the Minister of Tourism of Cuba and its objective of raising the tourist flow from Russia to 500,000 tourists per year, with which Russia would occupy the first place in this area, surpassing Canada,” he said.
The Russian vice prime minister, who had announced, that same day, the resumption on July 1 of regular flights between Russia and Cuba, indicated that he wanted Havana to exceed the “threshold of 200,000 tourists this year.” “We can create the necessary conditions for the growth of the mutual tourist flow between our countries with joint efforts, to reach the pre-pandemic indicators already this year,” added Chernishenko, who also announced Moscow’s interest in building hotels on the island.
The climate of the exchange confirmed the words of the president of the Russia-Cuba Business Council, Boris Titov, this Wednesday: “They are giving us preferential treatment, the path is paved”
The climate of the exchange confirmed the words of the president of the Russia-Cuba Business Council, Boris Titov, this Wednesday: “They are giving us preferential treatment, the path is paved,” he guaranteed.
The Kremlin adviser, who has been advising the Havana regime for months, informed the Reuters agency that, among the privileges that the Russians will enjoy in Cuba, will be the right to usufruct of land for a period of 30 years, a concession unprecedented in the revolutionary regime.
In addition, Díaz-Canel offered special conditions for the “long-term lease of land, such as duty-free importation of agricultural machinery, the granting of the right to transfer earnings in foreign currency, and much more,” he said.
“Cuba is transforming, mastering new rules for the interaction between the State and companies,” he summarized.
The Cubans who read the news of Cuba’s “unconditional support” for the Kremlin expressed their concern on the social networks of the official media. In addition to pointing out that the accession to Moscow occurred on the eve of the 121st anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Cuba, this May 20, a user wrote: “I hope that what is being negotiated with the Russians is not the loss of sovereignty national”.
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