MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th October, 2019) Moscow is interested in reviving cooperation with Cuban banks, as the methods used to transfer money between the countries are currently quite complicated, Vice-Chairman of the Russia-Cuba business Council Tatyana Mashkova told Sputnik on Tuesday.
"The ways of transferring money from Cuba to Russia and from Russia to Cuba are very complicated, transfers in Dollars are almost impossible. Every time there is a high-level visit, we hand over statements [to senior officials of the two states], outlining our wishes. And this is one of our wishes � we want our inter-bank cooperation to intensify, our central banks to sit down and agree on a new mechanism," she said ahead of a meeting between Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mashkova stressed that there should be mutual support for small and medium businesses of Russia and Cuba to foster the implementation of joint projects.
According to Mashkova, who also serves as the director general of the National Committee for the Promotion of Economic Cooperation with Latin American Countries, there are good prospects for bilateral cooperation in the spheres of telecommunications and medicine, including pharmaceutical industry.
"Great attention now is paid to cooperation in developing mobile communications and digital television in Cuba. These two issues are being actively discussed now in Moscow, where the Cuban communications minister is currently on a visit. These are the issues that our committee is constantly working on. Everything related to information technologies and communications is vital for Cuba," Mashkova pointed out.
Mashkova added that Cuba had expertise in treatment of nervous diseases and rehabilitation of those addicted to alcohol and drugs.
"We can cooperate not only in the field of pharmaceuticals, but also we can learn from the Cuban experience in treatment of various diseases, including nervous ones. By the way, Cubans are very seriously fighting such social evils as alcoholism and drug addiction, they have good methods of rehabilitation, and very famous people from around the world were treated there," Mashkova noted.
Diaz-Canel arrived in Russia's city of St. Petersburg on Sunday for an official three-day visit. During talks with Putin, he is set to address topics related to Russia and Cuba's strategic partnership in various areas, as well as the international agenda.�
