Putin, who will fly to Havana Wednesday, will head a large delegation composed of presidential staff officials, government ministers, regional governors, and parliamentary deputies and businessmen. The agenda of the visit includes economic and military affairs; tourism development; taxation; repayment of debts; joint business promotion; and trade.
Russia will propose completing several Soviet-era industrial projects, which were subsequently halted for lack of funds and other reasons.
One of the major projects still unfinished is the construction of the nuclear power station in Huragua, which was stopped in 1992 after Moscow had invested hundreds of millions of dollars. Other projects include completion of an oil refinery and a power plant, as well as the design and construction of nickel-processing facilities.
The two leaders are also expected to tackle an issue that Havana feels rather vulnerable about: its $20 billion outstanding debt to Russia.
The Cuban economy has been damaged by U.S.-imposed trade sanctions, which have exacerbated Havana's serious structural economic problems.
Russia is expected to import 2 million tons of sugar from Cuba this year – 50 percent of the country's annual sugar imports. Annual trade is projected at $900 million this year. Engines for Cuban locomotives are produced in the central Russian region of Saratov, which also hopes to win the tender for manufacture and delivery of its trolley-buses to Havana.
On Dec. 7, Putin spoke with business tycoon Vladimir Potanin, who pledged that his Interross company would invest $300 million in construction of nickel-processing facilities on Cuba. Interross is the major shareholder in Russia's biggest nickel producer, Norilsky Nikel company.
Russia's defense minister, Marshal Igor Sergeyev, is also on the list of officials accompanying Putin. Sergeyev will conduct talks with his Cuban counterpart on broadening military cooperation between the two nations.
Copyright 2000 by United Press International.
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