In an emerging partnership, Russia is arranging an accord with Cuba that will see Rosneft, the state-owned Russian enterprise, delivering 1.64 million tons of oil and hydrocarbons to the Caribbean nation each year.
The news broke on Tuesday (13) following a discussion between Manuel Marrero Cruz, the Prime Minister of Cuba, and Mikhail Mishustin, his Russian counterpart.
On an official visit to Russia, Marrero revealed that his discussions with Rosneft’s top brass had centered on the advances made by the group designated to draft the Havana-Moscow agreement.
According to Marrero, this agreement’s primary goal is to secure a “stable supply” of oil for Cuba, acknowledging the country’s ongoing fuel supply struggles.
Mishustin underlined Russia’s dedication to fortifying its friendship and partnership with Cuba, deeming it a non-negotiable priority.
He highlighted the resilience of Moscow-Havana cooperation, which has proven its stability in the face of adversities such as economic sanctions imposed by “hostile nations.”
Further, Mishustin disclosed that both countries are in the process of establishing a bilateral payment system and have initiated trade in their national currencies, the Russian ruble and the Cuban peso.
In a prior meeting, Marrero and Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian President and currently the Vice President of the Russian Security Council, had touched upon various facets of bilateral cooperation.
These included military-technical, transportation, industrial, and investment areas.
They also discussed cultural and humanitarian cooperation, scholarship opportunities for Cuban students, and the development of a specialized Russian language school in Cuba.