Azerbaijan, Cuba to sign slew of co-op deals

Azerbaijan, Cuba to sign slew of co-op deals
21-10-2009 17:21:09

Azerbaijan and Cuba are expected to sign up to ten cooperation
agreements covering various fields, according to the Cuban Ambassador in
Baku, Marcelo Caballero Torres.
Torres told a news conference that the documents will deal with
economic, humanitarian and other areas, including trade, sports,
education, agriculture, and communications. The papers are scheduled to
be signed at a meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic
cooperation, scheduled in Cuba in March 2010.
The ambassador said the agreement on sports collaboration would be
concluded during Azerbaijani Youth and Sports Minister Azad Rahimov's
visit to his country, scheduled for November 25-30.
The Days of Azerbaijani Culture will be organized as part of the
commission meeting. Up to 60 representatives of culture and art will
head to Cuba to take part in the events. During the visit, they will
familiarize Cubans with Azerbaijani art and, in particular, with the
national folk music, Mugham.
The Days of Cuban Culture will take place as part of an
intergovernmental commission meeting to be held in Baku in 2011.
Torres said Cuba was also interested in energy cooperation with
Azerbaijan, noting that a working group has been set up for the purpose.
He emphasized that 70 percent of oil field equipment used in Cuba's
energy sector was manufactured in Azerbaijan.
The ambassador noted that there is currently no direct turnover between
Cuba and Azerbaijan, and Cuban goods are mainly delivered to Azerbaijan
through other countries. "I hope the signing of bilateral agreements
will positively affect the development of trade between our countries."
Torres went on to say that on October 28, the UN General Assembly will
discuss a draft resolution condemning Cuba's blockade. The document
points out the need for ending what the country deems as economic, trade
and financial blockade imposed by the United States. According to the
ambassador, a new situation has emerged between the US administration
and Cuba, and tension that existed during the Bush administration has
now subsided.
"Though we doubt US President Barack Obama will be able to alter the
whole system on his own, we are looking to the future with optimism,"
Torres added.

AzerNEWS (21 October 2009)
http://www.azernews.az/site/shownews.php?news_id=15206