MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Russia to help Cuba finance acquisition of military equipment

Putin and Diaz-Canel agreed in Moscow to strengthen Russia's military assistance to Cuba.

Russia has agreed to assist Cuba purchase modern weaponry by means of a 38-million-euro credit line, Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak explained Friday after talks between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez at the Kremlin.

 Both presidents discussed the issue roughly and “there are unapproved parts that remain to be agreed, the Cubans plan to come here with a professional delegation in the near future and I think the agreement will be signed during that visit. The Cuban delegation that will be involved in expansion of military technical cooperation intends to arrive in two weeks,” Storchak said.

The Cuban delegation is expected to arrive in two weeks to agree on the details and discuss military cooperation, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov told reporters.

He added that “we have agreed that Cuba’s defense minister will visit Russia in the second half of November and particular attention will be paid” to military cooperation.

Borisov also said he believed Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu will handle the negotiations on behalf of his country.

During the presidential talks, Russia once again expressed its support to the Caribbean island in its struggle to lift the over half-century-old US embargo, according to a joint statement released after the meetings.

“The Russian president has confirmed the unchanged solidarity of the Russian people with the people of Cuba in the fight for an immediate and unconditional termination of the almost 60-year long economic, trade and financial blockade, imposed by the United States against Cuba,” the statement said.

Both countries also praised “the 73rd UN General Assembly’s adoption of the resolution titled ‘Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,’ which has once again confirmed almost unanimous reprobation of the international society of this discriminatory policy of Washington,” according to the statement.