Russia and Cuba are preparing an agreement for the company Rosneft to supply the island with 1.64 million tons of oil and hydrocarbons per year, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said today during a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Mishustin.
On an official visit to Russia, Marrero commented that he had spoken with directors of Rosneft, which informed him about the progress of the working group created to prepare the agreement between Havana and Moscow, reports the Efe agency.
According to the official, this agreement seeks to guarantee the “stable supply” of oil to Cuba. Marrero highlighted the importance of this agreement based on the problems that Cuba has been experiencing in this area.
Mishustin stressed that Russia regards as an unquestionable priority “the strengthening of friendship and association with Cuba”, adding that the cooperation between both nations “has passed the test of time and repeatedly demonstrated its stability in the face of external challenges”, among which which cited the economic sanctions of “unfriendly countries”.
He also reported that they are working on the creation of a bilateral financial payment system and that they have begun to trade using national currencies, the ruble and the Cuban peso.
Today, Tuesday, Marrero met with the former Russian president and vice president of the Security Council, Dimitri Medvedev. According to reports, they discussed cultural and humanitarian cooperation and the scholarship program for Cuban students, as well as the creation of a special school for teaching the Russian language in Cuba.
Marrero plans to attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum this week.
Efe/OnCuba/PL.
