Whole world queuing up to cooperate with Cuba - Russian expert

HAVANA, November 5. /TASS/. The whole world is queuing up for cooperation with Cuba, Tatiana Mashkova, director general of Russia’s National Committee for Promoting Economic Cooperation with Latin American Countries, said in an interview with TASS on Wednesday. "Cuba is a state Europe, the United States and China, which has managed to win a vast segment, are queuing up to cooperate with," she said. Mashkova is taking part in the Russian-Cuban Business Forum, a business mission of Russian companies in Cuba organized on the sidelines of the 33rd international fair FIHAV-2015 underway in the Cuban capital city of Havana. Cuba as a Choosy Bride "Cuba is now in an enviable positon of a bride choosing from among several suitors," Mashkova said, adding that it had made Cuba to change its tone at talks. And this is good, she said, since "Cuba has always demonstrated self-esteem and should have such possibility now too." "Now that it has a possibility to negotiate better terms, to choose partners for cooperation, Cuban can behave in a different way," she said. In her words, now it was time to "think how to be with the best rather than appealing to our long-time friendship and historic ties." She said she had no doubts that Russia needed Cuba. "It is absolutely true. We need Cuba no less than Cuba needs us," she stressed. "Today, Cuba’s strong point is medicine. It has good doctors, interesting pharmaceutical products, gene technologies. Russia needs all these things." Hence, "it is wrong to say that we, Russia, are giving anything to Cuba gratis. We give nothing gratis, we are helping but we also have our interests," Mashkova noted. "Each of us has its highs and lows and we can well supplement each other and help each other." No Time to Frag Feet Mashkova hailed the process of normalization of Cuba’s relations with the United States that had recently got off the ground and said she hoped blocked would soon be lifted off that country. However, she noted, it would depend on the U.S. Congress. "Let us wait and see how the process develops. But so far I think we have all the possibilities for cooperation with Cuba. But we have to hurry over," she noted. "We are lagging behind in terms of cooperation with Cuba and Latin America in general. It takes us too long to get started, so, when we say, ‘Here we are!’ it turns out we are not the first in the line." Normalization between Cuba and the United States, in her words, "is the return to normal relations two states should have." "There should be no room for hatred between countries," she underscored. "Countries should maintain normal diplomatic relations. It is a norm and it is silly to dwell on whether Russia might benefit from it or not. It is neither way." The Russian specialist said it was time to "learn to cooperate with Cuba in new conditions of no monopoly." "Once there is a monopoly, it is possible to administer prices and dictate terms and be unscrupulous about the quality. But once there is not monopoly, one must think what he is selling, which services and prices he is offering, and, what is most important, he must think about financial clearing, which is Russia’s weak point," Mashkova said. "Unlike, say, the Chinese, we are not in the habit of extending good loans, offering payment by instalment, but it is impossible to sell products to Latin America, to Cuba in particular, without it. They are not ready to by our products upfront." Read more