Belarus, Cuba to discuss bilateral cooperation

MINSK, February 22 (Itar-Tass) -- Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno
Rodriguez arrives in the Belarusian capital on Tuesday to discuss the
current state and prospects for further development of bilateral relations.
Rodriguez' program includes a meeting with Belarusian President
Alexander Lukashenko, and talks with speaker of Belarus' House of
Representatives Vladimir Andreichenko and Foreign Minister Sergei
Martynov. The talks are expected to focus on boosting political contacts,
and further steps to promote interparliamentary cooperation, and to
encourage trade and economic ties.
Cuba and Belarus are closely cooperating within the United Nations and
the Non-Aligned Movement, but their trade and economic relations leaves
much to be desired. According to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, the peak
development of economic cooperation between the two countries was reported
in 2008, when their trade turnover reached 49.7 million U.S. dollars and
Belarusian exports exceeded 35 million U.S. dollars. Following a global
economic recession, the trade turnover between Belarus and Cuba dropped to
7.4 million U.S. dollars in 2010, when Belarus' exports were 6.9 million
U.S. dollars.
Belarusian exports include primarily spare car parts, trucks,
tractors, and tyres.