Cuba and Russia signed five agreements in education, geological exploration, and health at the 21st Russian-Cuban Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation in Moscow.
Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment and Deputy Prime Minister, Ricardo Cabrisas and the Vice President of the Russian Government, Dmitry Chernyshenko, chaired the meeting. The Russian Ambassador to Cuba, Víctor V. Koronelli, also took part in the Commission.
At the meeting, Cuba and Russia addressed the current status and prospects for developing bilateral trade and investment in many sectors.
Minister Cabrisas said the last year was a turning point in Russian-Cuban cooperation. He said, “Foundations were laid for the effective and mutually beneficial participation of Russian businesses in implementing Cuba’s national plan for socio-economic development until 2030. Today, we are looking with optimism at the future relations between our countries. We are allies and strategic partners. Our relations have become much stronger in the past few years. That said, now is not the time to rest. We must achieve specific results, considering our countries’ urgent needs and the development prospects we share.”
Last year, a signed agreement encouraged the participation of Russian investors in joint projects in Cuba. Since then, over 100 Russian companies in different sectors take part.
The Commission meeting highlighted tourism industry successes: in 2023, the number of Russian tourists in Cuba amounted to 185,000 people, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
The launch of the Mir payment card system in Cuba coincided with the rise in Russian tourism.
Minister Cabrisas said that Cuba believes it is necessary to consider the possibility of issuing the Mir cards by Cuban banks. “We need to ensure the effective operation of Mir cards in Cuba and consider with our Russian partners the possibility of issuing these cards by Cuban banks,” he said.
