By Hedelberto López Blanch on November 30, 2022
photo: Alejandro Azcuy Domínguez.
The intense political, economic, commercial and financial activity carried out by the Cuban delegation headed by President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez in Algeria, Russia, Turkey and China has been classified as extremely important.
The Cuban president was much more emphatic when he declared that “the results have been satisfactory, I would say that they have exceeded our expectations”.
Several factors have played a role in this corollary: the prestige that has characterized Cuba in the fulfillment of its international duties; the solidarity of the Cuban people and government towards other nations that have needed help in different circumstances; the will to defend its sovereignty and independence despite the permanent aggressions and blockades launched by the US administrations for more than 60 years and the new measures adopted within the process of updating the economic model in the Island that facilitates foreign investment.
In the four countries visited, Díaz-Canel and the members of the delegation were received by the presidents of those nations: Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria; Vladimir Putin, Russia; Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey and Xi Jinping, China.
It goes without saying that the political and diplomatic relations with the countries visited have been very close and excellent for many decades, so let’s analyze on this occasion what has been achieved during these visits in the economic and financial spheres.
The tour began in Algeria where the North African nation canceled Havana’s debt services and postponed its repayment for another time; Algiers announced the donation of a solar energy plant for electricity production, as well as resuming the shipment of fuel to the Caribbean nation for its power plants.
The collaboration will be expanded in health; energy; renewable sources; the medical-pharmaceutical industry; sugar production; and cultural, educational, scientific and technological exchange. The parties will work to cooperate in the production of medicines and the creation of joint ventures for the manufacture of vaccines against some African and non-African diseases.
In the talks with Russia, it was decided to promote the modernization of Antillana de Acero, whose electric steel plant should be completed soon; to increase efficiency with the use of new technologies in the Boca de Jaruco oil field; to rehabilitate the Santa Clara Mechanical Plant; and the operation of a diagnostic and maintenance center for Kamaz equipment in the Mariel Special Development Zone,
In health, several aspects were analyzed, such as the registration (already approved) and use of Heberprot P for diabetic foot. A plan of one hundred scholarships designed for Cuba. Transportation, energy and banking-financial issues were discussed. In the latter, work is being carried out so that the MIR cards used in the Russian Federation may work in Cuban entities.
The Cuban side was projected to attract investments of Russian companies to the Island; the import of food and a group of raw materials and products that can be used in Cuba to produce food were analyzed.
During the stay in Turkey, six agreements were signed: two between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, on Cooperation in Protocol Matters and another on Cooperation in Diplomatic Archives; the third on Cooperation between the Central Bank of Cuba and the Central Bank of Turkiye, and a fourth between the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment and the Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination TIKA.
In addition, two cooperation protocols, one between the National Archive and the State Archives of the Presidency of the Republic, and between the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT) and the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT).
The presidents reaffirmed that there is mutual interest in cooperation in biotechnology, renewable energy, tourism, agriculture, livestock, culture and education, which was ratified during a subsequent meeting with more than a hundred Turkish businessmen, while President Erdogan expressed the intention to bring the commercial exchange to 200 million dollars.
As regards the stay in China, twelve legal instruments were signed in which the aspects related to the reopening of new financing, such as those associated to the investment of the Floating Dock that will provide service to ships transiting the Caribbean, and the one related to the press modernization program, stand out.
Progress was made in other important investments: the Herradura wind farm in Las Tunas; a photovoltaic solar farm of more than 100 megawatts, and two bio-pesticide plants.
They discussed Cuba’s interest in increasing investment by Chinese food, tourism and transportation companies on the island and signed a document for the Establishment of the Coordination Mechanism of the Silk Road and Belt Initiative. As a culmination of the talks, President Xi Jinping announced a donation of 100 million dollars to Havana.
In a meeting with the press after his return to Cuba, President Díaz-Canel evaluated as very positive the trip in which “actions were taken to restructure the debt we had with those countries” which allows us to advance in a group of projects and businesses in the field of economic and financial relations. Cuba, he said, has the disposition, will and duty to honor those debts.
He explained that a series of projects that were at a standstill will now be continued, others will be expanded or renewed for the sake of the country’s development.
On the energy issue, he emphasized the supply of fuel with stability and others that help to improve the conditions of the existing plants, as well as the development of new technologies in renewable sources.
In relation to food production, he pointed out that there is a group of projects ranging from guarantee of supplies to development based on existing technologies in the different countries visited.
He detailed that projects on tourism, public health and biotechnology were discussed in depth and exemplified that several foreign companies have a market and industry but need Cuban products and scientists. Other issues included the manufacturing industry, participation in domestic trade, transportation, and exchanges in education, culture and sports.
Finally, the Cuban president emphasized an issue that was common to all the talks: “the creation of robust financial banking structures that will allow us direct financial exchange with these nations to evade the sanctions and restrictive measures of the U.S. government against Cuba and some of them, such as Russia”.
In conclusion, Cuba is opening up strongly with friendly nations in order to promote its economic, commercial and financial development for the benefit of its people.
Hedelberto López Blanch writes for the Juventud Rebelde newspaper and the weekly magazine Opciones. He is the author of “La Emigración cubana en Estados Unidos”, “Historias Secretas de Médicos Cubanos en África” and “Miami, dinero sucio.”
Source: Cuba en Resumen