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Cubaâ€™s Ambassador Marcelo Caballero Torres: Azerbaijanâ€™s territorial integrity should be restored, we support your country in this issue 100 percent

13 April 2009 10:11 (UTC +04:00)

-How do you estimate the level of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Cuba?

-The relations between our countries were established in 1992. Until last year our relations with Azerbaijan had been regulated by Cubaâ€™s embassy in Russia. Our states have always had good relations, 70 percent of the equipment used in our oil sector has been imported by Azerbaijan, let alone the products we bought during Soviet period. For example, the conditioners produced in Azerbaijan are still used in Cuba. In 2006 Cuban government passed a decision to open its diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan. It was one more step in the development of our relations. The relations between our countries are extending thanks to the work of the intergovernmental commissions. The first meeting of Cuba-Azerbaijan intergovernmental commission was held in Cuba in November, 2007. The second meeting of the commission will be held on May 18-19. We have put forward our proposals concerning the meeting during the visit of the co-chair of the commission Abulfas Garayev to Cuba. The co-chair of the commission from Cuba â€“ Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investments will lead the delegation to Baku. The composition of the commission has not been specified yet, but I think that it will include the representatives of Industry Ministry, Health Ministry and maybe Sport Ministry.

We attach special importance to the second meeting of the intergovernmental commission, as we still have about ten draft agreements ready for signing. We plan to sign agreements on culture, trade, energy and sport during the meeting. We hope that the trade turnover between our countries will increase after the meeting of the intergovernmental commission. We are interested in buying food products, oil industry equipment from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani businessmen may be interested in buying cigars, rum, sugar and products of biotechnology from Cuba. Biotechnologies, biological preparations, medical services have developed much in Cuba. Azerbaijan may take interest in it. We can exchange specialists in medical sphere.

-What other spheres in Cuba may be interesting for Azerbaijan?

- Speaking of Cuba, one usually thinks about tourism, but Cuba also has great potential in oil sector, we produce 4 million tones of oil and gas every year. Risk weighted agreements are signed with various oil companies, companies carry out exploration and produce oil. Azerbaijan has great experience in oil production and we hope that your country will participate in exploring oil wells in future. As regards sports, it is possible to cooperate in preparing boxers and wrestlers. Moreover, we have a project to hold Days of Azerbaijani Culture in Cuba and Days of Cuban Culture in Azerbaijan. the project may be realized within the framework of the third session of the intergovernmental commission in February next year. It will be very interesting, because there are a lot of people in Cuba, who studied in Azerbaijan.

-What about plans to improve cooperation between Cuba and Azerbaijan in education?

- Cuban students studied in Azerbaijan took high posts, particularly in oil sector of Cuba now. There are many general managers, deputy ministers and directors among them. I hope well develop cooperation in this field further. The education project considers our cooperation with Baku Oil Academy. If Azerbaijan is interested, we will carry out the student exchange programs too. Professor of the Cuba International Relations Institute delivered lectures at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy.

-Are there Azerbaijanis residing in Cuba and do they have any organization there?

-No. There is only the organization of Cuban students studied once in Baku. The Azerbaijani charge dâ€™affairs in Cuba has regular contacts with this organization and keeping them in touch with Azerbaijan. There is a Cuba-Azerbaijan friendship group at the Cuban parliament. I have regular relations with parliamentary group of both countries and this is one of my duties. The interparliamentary friendship groups have not held their meetings yet and I am working to organize their meeting. Four parliamentarians were involved in Azerbaijan-Cuba and six â€“ in Cuba-Azerbaijan friendship groups. Vice Speaker of Azerbaijani Parliament Ziyafat Asgarov was invited to Cuba. I hope he will visit Cuba in 2009 and will found close relations between the Cuban and Azerbaijani parliaments.

-How is the Cuban foreign policy today? Particularly, relations with the United States arouse interest. President Barack Obama ordered to lift the part of sanctions against Cubaâ€¦

-The sanctions are still in force. The President of Cuba said we were ready to establish the relations, to launch dialogue with the new US administration and to discuss any issue under the condition of respecting the sovereignty of each part. Seven members of the US Senate are on a visit to Cuba now. They were received by President Raul Castro and discussed the prospects of US-Cuba relations. I donâ€™t know how it will be, but the US Senatorsâ€™ visit to Cuba says many things about that. We appreciate it as first positive step. However the sanctions imposed against Cuba, including ban on US travelers to Cuba, are still in force. Only the Cuban people living in the United States and having relatives in Cuba are allowed to visit the country once a year. This sanction is a violation of human rights. If even Obama has good intentions, it is difficult for one person to change the long-year system in the United States. We have to wait for the progresses in this field. Both sides express willingness to meet and both Obama and our president accepted it as a progress.

-Can you make prognosis on the normalization of Cuba-US relations?

-In comparison with previous US administrations, Obamaâ€™s administration is better to work together. It is possible to normalize relations with Obama administration because we are not witnessing strong confrontations at least. Let see will this person to change the whole system? There is only 180 km between Cuba and USA and therefore establishing of trade relations is useful for both of them.

-How is Cubaâ€™s reaction to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict?

- We are supporting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, closely working with Azerbaijan within the international organizations and clearly expressing our position to our Azerbaijani colleagues. As the Azerbaijani leadership says, we hope that the conflict will be resolved peacefully. The key issue is that the justice will win and the lands will be returned to their owners. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored and we show 100-percent support to Azerbaijan in this issue.