Havana (BLAZETRENDS).- The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, criticized in Havana, within the framework of a visit to one of his strategic partners in the Western Hemisphere, that the United States tries to impose its rules of the game on the system international.
In a meeting with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodríguez, Lavrov assured that the world cannot be allowed to move forward under the “rules established” by Washington, according to official Cuban media.
The Russian minister, who arrived in Havana last night as part of a tour of several Latin American countries, valued his country’s relationship with Cuba at a time when the West is trying to impose its will, the state-run Cuban News Agency (ACN) reported.
Meeting between Lavrov and Díaz-Canel
Lavrov later met behind closed doors with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and his predecessor, Raúl Castro.
Some images disseminated by the Cuban Presidency on social media barely leaked from this meeting.
Rodríguez explained on Twitter that this meeting “addressed prioritized projects underway,” as well as “prospects for the effective participation of Russia in the Economic-Social Development Plan of Cuba until 2030.”
On the common bilateral agenda there are economic issues (oil imports to Cuba, payment of the Cuban debt, investment opportunities in Cuba).
And political, such as mutual support in the multilateral arena (condemnation of the embargo at the UN, invasion of Ukraine, etc).
In a communiqué from the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Rodríguez added regarding Ukraine that “NATO’s expansion, which continues until today towards the borders of Russia, is the main cause of the current conflict in Europe.”
In this sense, the Cuban advocated for “a serious, constructive and realistic diplomatic solution to the current crisis”, while rejecting “unilateral sanctions and the policy of isolation” against Russia.
The foreign minister announced that Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero will visit Russia in June to “deepen” the “traditional ties between the two States.”
In total, Lavrov has visited Cuba eight times, according to official media.
Tribute to Jose Marti
Prior to the meeting with Rodríguez, Lavrov paid tribute to the National Hero José Martí in the Parque 13 de Marzo in the Cuban capital.
Cuba is the last country that Lavrov visits as part of his tour that also took him to Nicaragua, Venezuela and Brazil.
Havana and Moscow have promoted their relationship in recent years to try to reestablish the close cooperation they maintained until the disappearance of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Russia is one of Cuba’s top ten trading partners, and both governments define their association as “strategic.”
Cuba-Russia Alliance
In November 2022, Díaz-Canel met Russian President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Moscow, with whom he discussed the state.
And the development prospects of the Russian-Cuban strategic partnership in the political, economic-commercial, cultural and humanitarian spheres.
A month later, both had a telephone conversation in which they expressed their intention to continue strengthening “in an integral manner the Russian-Cuban strategic association,” according to the Russian government.
In recent months, the secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Pátrushev, has traveled to the island.
As well as the president of the Cuba-Russia Business Council, Titov Boris Yurievich, and the executive director of the state oil company Rosneft, Igor Sechin.
