Raul Castro Asks Russia To Supply Cuba with Oil
The request comes as problems mount with oil supplies from Venezuela
HAVANA TIMES – Cuban President Raul Castro has asked Russia to once begin supplying Cuba with oil. Before the Soviet Union’s disintegration in 1991, it was Cuba’s main supplier under favorable trade terms.
The Russian RT news network reports today that General/President Raul Castro asked Russian President Vladimir Putin, to start oil supplies to the island.
According to the news item, Castro has asked the Russian president to explore the possibility of supplying Cuba regularly with oil and other products.
The terms Castro requested for the purchases was not mentioned in the article.
The Cuban government, affected oil production problems suffered by Venezuela, has been forced to seek other international suppliers to help meet domestic demand, said a Kremlin source quoted by Interfax.
In late August, Cuba received the visit of Foreign Minister of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, who highlighted the desire of his country to strengthen bilateral relations and discussed specific issues of economic cooperation in areas such as agriculture, petroleum, petrochemicals, mining, medicine and engineering.
If rejected as a suitor by Putin, Raul can next turn with his begging bowl to the premiers of Japan and China, who according to Gordon Robinson are due to visit Cuba.
Nice suit Raul.
Russia has it’s own economic problems. It won’t be free oil.
The only way Cuba will get a good deal from Putin is if he simply wants to bug the US. Otherwise he has no interest in Cuba whatsoever.
Putin is no fool. The Castros won’t get the same sweetheart deal from Putin that they are getting from Venezuela. So no matter what the details are, it’s going to cost Cubans more.
Beggars can’t be choosers.