Sergey Lavrov’s tour of Latin America ends in Cuba

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Cuba on April 20, where his Latin American tour ends. On the island, he will hold a series of meetings, including with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, and will discuss issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as issues of regional and international politics. Cuba will be the last stop on Lavrov’s tour, which has previously visited Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The minister describes relations with Cuba as a “strategic partnership.” “They [отношения] deeper, rooted in human relations, in sympathy between our peoples. Of course, they will develop,” the minister stressed in an interview with the Cuban agency Prensa Latina.

Lavrov’s visit coincided with a significant political event in Cuba – the re-election of the head of state. On April 19, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel was re-elected by parliament for a second term until 2028, TeleSUR reports. 459 out of 462 deputies present voted for him. Parliament re-elected incumbent Vice President Salvador Valdez Mesa as vice president of Cuba. The current head of the government, Manuel Marrero, who has been working in this position since 2019, has remained the country’s prime minister. It is expected that the Cuban prime minister will visit Russia in June.

Relations between Russia and Cuba are now very important for both countries, says Tatyana Mashkova, deputy chairman of the National Committee for the Promotion of Economic Cooperation with Latin American Countries. Although Russia’s and Cuba’s GDPs are not comparable in volume, relations between the two countries are absolutely equal. Cuba has been our permanent ally in the Western Hemisphere for 60 years, which is extremely valuable for Moscow, even as relations with larger Latin American countries like Brazil improve. Economically, Cuba is now going through difficult times, but Russia does not intend to leave it during the crisis. According to Mashkova, it is in the interests of Russia to strengthen the Cuban energy sector, as well as help in replicating the production of medicines, because Cuba has many innovative developments in the field of pharmaceuticals, Mashkova says.

Simultaneously with the re-election of the president and other leaders, almost all ministers remained in their positions, which also indicates that continuity in Cuban politics is preserved, says Zbigniew Ivanovsky, head of the Center for Political Studies at the Institute of Latin America of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Raul Castro and other veterans of the revolution, who remain the spiritual leaders of Cuba, are still represented in the authorities. Despite the expansion of the share of the private sector, the state of the Cuban economy is still difficult, the expert continues. First, the US embargo remains. Cubans hoped that when Joe Biden became president, he would lift the restrictions on trade again imposed under Donald Trump, but this did not happen. Secondly, Cuba was hit by a decline in tourist flow during the coronavirus pandemic. After the pandemic, tourism partially recovered, but did not reach pre-crisis levels. Moreover, the crisis in Venezuela negatively affected the economy. Previously, Venezuela provided Cuba with huge assistance, mainly by supplying energy products at preferential prices. In return, Cuba sent doctors and other social and humanitarian workers to Venezuela, up to sports coaches, it was a mutually beneficial cooperation. Due to the crisis in Venezuela, even diplomats sometimes stand in line for gasoline in Cuba, the expert notes. High inflation should also be noted, the expert continues. But Cuba is our strategic partner and supports the main Russian foreign policy initiatives. Relations between Russia and Cuba are more political than economic, and it is on a political basis that they will develop in the near future, Ivanovsky sums up.