Cuba-Russia economic ties best in history: officials
21/10/2008 17:12
Cuban and Russian officials said at a forum yesterday that economic and
trade ties between the two countries are currently the best ever.
More than
140 business leaders participated in the economic forum in Havana, chaired by
Cuban Vice Exterior Minister Orlando Hernandez Guillen, Russian Vice Industry
and Trade Minister Stanislav Naumov and Russian Vice Energy Minister Viacheslav
Sinyugin.
The forum was the latest step to boost Cuban-Russian
ties.
Strains in relations between the two countries climaxed in 2001 after
Moscow's surprising decision to withdraw its listening base from Lourdes, an
electronic spying center in Havana, which had been there since 1964.
"This
forum provides new opportunities to enhance our economic ties with Russia," said
Hernandez.
Meanwhile, Russia's ambassador to Cuba Mikhail L. Kamynin said his
country "has been and will always stand with Cuba."
The two nations had 30
years of strong political, economic and military ties during the Soviet
era.
The business forum aimed to "tune direct communication mechanisms
between the two countries' entrepreneurs," officials said.
Russia is the 10th
biggest trade partner of Cuba, with a trade volume of US$363 million in
2007.
The forum was organized by the Commerce Chamber of Cuba together with
the Commerce Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Russian company RESTEC and
the foreign ministries of both countries.
Xinhua
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