News

Mexico and Cuba’s Foreign Ministers Patricia Espinosa and Felipe Perez Roque noted at a press conference Monday that the “standoff” in bilateral relations had been overcome, with dialogue and mutual confidence recovered. The two officials signed an agreement on migratory affairs during Perez Roque’s visit to Mexico City. The document affirms that the “U.S. migratory policy toward Cuba encourages illegal migration and human trafficking,” reported IPS.

Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque arrived in Mexico Sunday to sign a bilateral migratory agreement and deliver an invitation to President Felipe Calderon to visit the island from Cuban President Raul Castro. Both nations have kick started their relations since Calderon came to power, after six years of cooling during Vicente Fox’ government. “We come to rebuild links that should have never been damaged,” Perez Roque told the Mexican press upon his arrival.

Brazil wants to establish a strategic alliance with Cuba by strengthening investments in the country, said Samuel Pinheiro, general secretary of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry in the Cuban capital, reported ANSA news. In 2007 trade between the two nations reached US $450 million, a figure that could notably increase this year. “We want to be Cuba’s number one trade partner in its process of economic and social development,” said Pinheiro.

Representatives from Cuba and Italy signed an agreement Friday for the co-production of a film and the exhibition in Rome of the island’s contemporary cinema. Moreover, Italy will help restore and conserve the Cuban Film Institute’s (ICAIC) rich film patrimony.

Specialists from 25 countries are debating today in the Cuban capital the use of sugar industry derivatives in animal feed at the 10th International Congress on Sugar and Derivatives.

Cuba could have some 20 billion barrels of oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico, affirmed Rafael Tenreyro, director of the state-run Cubapetroleo (Cupet) Company. The official said the first well will be opened by Spain’s Repsol Company in mid 2009, reported IPS news service. These reserves would turn the island into an oil-exporting country.

Cuba currently produces 60,000 barrels of oil a day used mainly for generating electricity. It depends on Venezuela for an additional 93,000 barrels a day, which it receives at preferential rates in exchange for the services of thousands of Cuban doctors working in Venezuela, reported the BBC.

France favors a “recovery in European cooperation with Cuba”, affirmed today in Paris a spokesperson of that country’s Foreign Ministry. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is heading the European delegation that met today with his Cuban counterpart Felipe Perez Roque to renew the bilateral political dialogue, which was interrupted in 2003.

Cuba and the European Union (EU) held today in Paris the first ministerial summit since the cooling of bilateral relations in 2003, reported the French press. According to sources from the French Foreign Ministry, the subjects to be dealt with during the dialogue should include cooperation to prevent and respond to natural disasters, human rights, food security and the international financial crisis.

The Spanish government accepted Cuba’s request to restructure its commercial debt, for which a delegation from the island will travel next week to Madrid. Spain also offered a new line of credit of between 50 and 100 million euros. Spain is Cuba’s third-largest trading partner after Venezuela and China.

The Spanish government announced it will donate 24.5 million euros to Cuba to help over next two years with the reconstruction effort in the areas affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, announced Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos during a press conference in Madrid. Cuba’s Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque is on an official visit to Spain and met Tuesday with King Juan Carlos and Moratinos.