Manuel Marrero CruzPrime Minister of Cuba, revealed the regime’s impatience with its partners in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)of which the Island is an observer member, due to the delay in establishing businesses and agreeing on investments that bring money to the regime’s coffers.
Speaking online on Tuesday at the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, in Nesvizh, Belarus, the official reiterated, as he and Miguel Díaz-Canel have done in previous meetings, that Havana expects more from the group’s partners.
In his speech, said that “we must achieve greater coordination that allows us to develop joint projects innovative and attractive in areas of common interest”.
And, pointing to one of the difficulties that the Island’s regime seems to detect for the development of business, he added that “in this context, a more systematic and effective relationship between the ministries and sectoral organizations of the Commission and the States is essential. members and observers”.
“In the sphere of agriculture and agribusiness there are opportunities that we have been working on with Belarusian partners for years. The businesses that we manage to develop will also contribute to the export of Cuban products to the member countries of the EAEU,” he assured.
And, to make clear what the objective of Havana is, he pointed out that “in addition to greater ties in these spheres, would allow us to promote foreign investment for the development of animal production, such as chicken, cattle, pork, as well as citrus, fruit, sugar, cocoa and coffee. Promoting the development of grains and seeds, and the joint creation of veterinary vaccines, is another possibility, one of the many that could emerge and spread as a beneficial experience.”
“Similarly, We must promote exchanges between the structures of the Eurasian Economic Commission, businessmen from the countries of the Union and Cubawith the objective of establishing direct links to encourage trade and cooperation, as well as foreign investment,” he emphasized.
As on previous occasions, he stressed that “Cuba is totally open to the development of initiatives that contribute to these purposes. One more time I would like to ratify my country’s commitmentthe only one in the Latin American region that holds observer status in the EAEU, with the development of mutually beneficial cooperationin which Cuba can not only contribute with its potential in terms of human capital, infrastructure, productive base, scientific and technical results in innovative fields, health and tourism, but also, in its condition as a fully integrated State in Latin America and the Caribbean “.
Promoting the idea that doing business in Cuba would allow EAEU members to access Latin American markets, he assured that “our region has a very favorable framework for the development of its commercial relations, which could contribute to the economic interests of the Union and its Member States. The commercial benefits offered allow finished products in Cuba to be exported to Latin America and the Caribbeanwith substantial savings in production processes, tariffs and transportation, at a time when these costs tend to increase more and more in the international market.”
In December 2023, Miguel Díaz-Canel insisted on similar purposes without results. In a video message to the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the president reiterated his Government’s intention to “deepen trade and investment cooperation in unoccupied niches” of the Eurasian market.
“In the new mechanism of financial assistance for industrial cooperation within the Union, we see an excellent opportunity for observer countries, which should allow us to promote joint projects”he said, in reference to a structure from which Havana seeks to obtain credits.
Díaz-Canel said that Havana seeks investments in the field of renewable energy, agriculture, biotechnology, pharmaceutical products and industry.
In 2022, Havana proposed to the EAEU the loan of a 50 hectare land for the creation of an industrial park in which companies from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, the members of the organization, set up production plants.
The proposal involves the loan of land for a period of 50 years in the Mariel Special Economic Development Zone, a business area that Havana has not managed to promote as it had promised after its creation.
At the moment, it is unknown if this initiative has advanced.
