(EFE).- Cuba and Russia aspire to “continue expanding bilateral collaboration in all spheres,” explained the Cuban Foreign Ministry after the visit to Havana of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov.
the official media Cubadebate spread this Saturday the statement from the Foreign Ministry, in which the areas of cooperation to which priority will be given are pointed out and in which defense is not mentioned, after recent speculation in this regard.
It is indicated, without details, that the Russian delegation held “sectoral exchanges” on transport, energy, industry and finance, as “a sample of the existing potential for the promotion and deepening of relations.”
Borisov also met with his counterpart, Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas.
Cuba, the note continues, “thanked Russia for its permanent support and solidarity”, especially the humanitarian and health aid provided in recent months to combat covid-19 on the island.
The Russian delegation held “sectoral exchanges” on transport, energy, industry and finance
The Cuban government also showed its “solidarity” in the face of “the constant campaigns of disinformation and propaganda war” by the US and its opposition to “the unilateral and unjust sanctions” of the West against Moscow.
He also criticized the “expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization towards the Russian borders.
Borisov’s visit, which closed a Latin American tour in Havana that took him this week to Venezuela and Nicaragua, took place at a time of intensifying bilateral contacts and tensions between Russia and the US due to the crisis in Ukraine.
The trip takes place a month after the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Riabkov, don’t rule out in an interview to the Russian television channel RTVI Moscow’s interest in deploying military infrastructure in Cuba and Venezuela.
Riabkov’s reply provoked a strong reaction in the West amid the escalation of tensions between the US and NATO, on one side, and Russia, on the other, due to the accumulation of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine and the fear of a possible invasion.
Shortly after these statements, Miguel Díaz-Canel and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, had a conversation telephone. Borísov, according to the Minrex, indicated that his visit was linked to this call.
He also criticized the “expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization towards the Russian borders
As the Cuban Presidency explained at the time, in the call “a profound exchange of views was carried out on issues of commercial, economic and bilateral investment cooperation.”
For his part, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, then denied that the leaders had spoken of increasing military-technical cooperation or establishing Russian bases in Cuba.
Borisov’s visit takes place at a time of apparent intensification of bilateral contacts between Moscow and Havana, two historical partners, politically and commercially.
The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, assured his national parliament in early February that Moscow wanted to strengthen strategic cooperation with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua in “all areas: in the economy, culture, education and technical cooperation. -military”.
This Thursday the Governments of Cuba and Russia held their Foreign Ministry Consultations to discuss cooperation in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering.
Havana and Moscow have promoted their bilateral relationship in recent years to try to reestablish the close cooperation they maintained until the disappearance of the Soviet Union
It is also planned that on February 23 the president of the Russian Duma (Lower House), Viacheslav Volodin, will visit Havana and then travel to Nicaragua.
Havana and Moscow have boosted their bilateral relationship in recent years to try to restore the close cooperation they maintained until the disappearance of the Soviet Union in 1991.
In 2014, Moscow forgave 90% of the debt contracted by the island and valued at 35.3 billion dollars.
Russia is one of Cuba’s top ten trading partners, and both define their partnership as “strategic.”
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