Rustam Minnikhanov meets heads of Cuban Ministries

On November 3, within the framework of his visit to Cuba, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov met Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment of Cuba Rodrigo Malmierca, Cuba’s First Deputy Minister of Tourism Alexis Trujillo Morejon and Cuba’s Minister of Trade Salvador Pardo Cruz.

Speaking at the meeting, Rodrigo Malmierca noted with satisfaction that during the visit of Tatarstan delegation a number of agreements had been signed.

In his turn Tatarstan President reminded that an agreement on trade and economic cooperation signed between the Government of Tatarstan and Government of Cuba in 1996 is the basis of Cuba and Tatarstan business relations. However, according to Minnikhanov, current trade and economic relations are still far from available opportunities (foreign trade volume made 15 million US dollars in 2013). “We need to intensify our work to increase our turnover, develop industrial cooperation,” he said.

Among the promising areas for cooperation Minnikhanov pointed out deliveries to Cuba of new Kazan helicopters, KAMAZ trucks, agricultural machinery and other engineering products made in Tatarstan to Cuba.

At his meeting with Cuba’s First Deputy Minister of Tourism Alexis Trujillo Morejon, Minnikhanov thanked him for an opportunity to get acquainted with Cuba’s developments in tourism. Tatarstan President has proposes to intensify joint work to increase mutual tourist flow. Thus, Minnikhanov suggested including Tatarstan into available Cuban tourist routes.

Joint work on broader coverage of tourism potential, both in the media and in direct work on the tourist market, organization of press tours for representatives of the tourism industry and the media, and active participation in joint international tourist exhibitions and road shows are also needed, Tatarstan President said.

Minnikhanov has given an errand to Chairman of Tatarstan State Committee on Tourism Sergey Ivanov to establish a working group on this matter.

At his meeting with Tatarstan President, Cuba’s Minister of Trade Salvador Pardo Cruz said that the potential for cooperation between Cuba and Tatarstan is huge. "KAMAZ is our family. And today we are talking about a completely new quantum leap in deliveries of heavy trucks and buses,” Minnikhanov said.

Issues related to modernization of production of tires and fertilizers were also discussed at the meeting.