Lukashenko sees ‘positive trends’ in Belarus-Cuba ties
Cuban Vice President Miguel Díaz-Canel met Monday (May 23) in Minsk with Belarussian President Aleksandr Lukashenko at the start of an official visit to Belarus. The following press note was issued by the presidential office after the meeting.
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President Aleksander Lukashenko praised the positive trends in Belarus-Cuba trade and economic relations. The issue was on the agenda of the meeting with the First Vice President of the Council of State and Ministers of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.
The president emphasized that there has been certain progress in the Belarussian-Cuban trade and economic cooperation, the trade turnover between the countries has increased.
“We appreciate the normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States of America,” Lukashenko said, and added that it will also have a positive impact on the economy of Cuba.
Good trends can be seen in the agricultural industry and other areas of big importance for the Cuban economy, the Belarussian leader remarked.
“We also see our place, Belarus’ place, in the Cuban economy. We are prepared for this cooperation. Moreover, a good basis has been created because about 30 intergovernmental agreements — part of a solid legal framework — have been signed,” the head of state said.
Lukashenko expressed hope that the visit of the high-ranking Cuban official to Belarus will give an impetus to the development of bilateral relations. Speaking about political contacts, the President noted that Belarus and Cuba virtually have no diplomatic problems.
“We have similar positions on the entire international agenda; our opinions correspond in virtually all fields,” he stressed.
The Belarussian leader resumed his invitation for the president of the Council of State of Cuba, Raúl Castro, to visit Belarus. The Belarussian leader also asked Díaz-Canel to convey his best wishes to Fidel Castro.
“I think that I will be able to meet with him in the near future to discuss the most urgent issues of international relations, as we had done before,” the head of state said. [Lukashenko visited Cuba in 2012.]
Díaz-Canel thanked Lukashenko for the opportunity to visit Belarus, saying that he has very good impressions about the country. He conveyed Raúl Castro’s best wishes to Lukashenko and invited him to visit Cuba at a convenient time.
Photo at top: Belarussian President Aleksandr Lukashenko meets with Cuban Vice President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Minsk.
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BELARUSSIAN P.M. SEEKS A BALANCED TRADE VOLUME WITH CUBA
Monday evening (May 23), Díaz-Canel and his delegation met in Minsk with Belorussian Prime Minister Andrei Vladimirovich Kobyakov.
“Your decision to visit Belarus is a testimony to the great interest of the Republic of Cuba in the further development of our bilateral relations,” Kobyakov told his guest. “We perceive this step as a manifestation of sincere affection to the Belarussian people”.
The Prime Minister stated that cooperation between Belarus and Cuba has a strong foundation. “We have reached a high level of strategic partnership that can serve as a good example for other countries,” he said. “The two countries have established a political, legal and economic framework of bilateral cooperation.”
Trade between Belarus and Cuba has been growing steadily, Kobyakov noted. Bilateral trade in 2015 amounted to 67 million dollars and grew more than 1.5 times compared to 2014.
“Just as important is a balanced bilateral trade,” said the Prime Minister. “For example, we exported to Cuba Belarussian products valued at 36 million dollars. In turn, our Cuban partners sent to Belarus goods totaling 31 million dollars last year.”
In the first quarter of 2016, Belarussian exports dropped below the volume of products that the republic purchased in Cuba, Kobyakov said. “That is why we are meeting with you today to discuss ways and means of correcting this situation,” he suggested.
