Azerbaijan and Cuba to sign cooperation agreements

Azerbaijan and Cuba to sign cooperation agreements
[ 15 Oct 2009 15:50 ]

Baku. Victoria Dementyeva – APA. "Azerbaijan-Cuba relations have been
strengthened in recent years", said Cuban ambassador to Azerbaijan
Marcello Caballero Torres at a press conference on Thursday, APA
reports. The ambassador said diplomatic relations between the two
countries were established in 1992 and it has dynamically developed in
recent years. He said Azerbaijan and Cuba were planning to sign
cooperation agreements in nearly 10 spheres. The culture and tourism
agreement was already signed and sport cooperation agreement will be
signed in the next few days during the visit of Azerbaijan's Minister of
Sport and Youth Azad Rahimov to Cuba. "Azerbaijani tourists' travel to
Cuba will promote the development of tourism between the two countries.
Minister Abulfas Garayev is interested in this issue. We hope that this
sphere will be developed further".

The ambassador said his country was interested in the energy cooperation
with Azerbaijan and a working group was established in this sphere. He
said 70 percent of oil equipments used in Cuba was produced in
Azerbaijan. Ambassador Torres noted that there is no direct trade
turnover between Azerbaijan and Cuba and Cuban goods are exported to
Azerbaijan via third countries. "I hope bilateral agreements will also
promote the development of trade relations between the countries".

The ambassador added that on October 28, the UN General Assembly will
discuss a resolution on lifting of economic, trade and financial embargo
imposed by the United States against Cuba. Last year 185 countries
supported the lifting of economic blockade of Cuba. The ambassador said
there was new situation between the US administration and Cuba now and
tensions existed during Bush administration were eased. "We doubt that
President Barack Obama can change whole system, but we are optimistic
about the future".

APA - Azerbaijan and Cuba to sign cooperation agreements (15 October 2009)
http://en.apa.az/news.php?id=109377