Cuba and South Africa strengthen commercial ties

Livia Rodríguez Delis

CUBAN and South African business representatives met in Havana to discuss further possibilities of trade relations with the aim of raising them to the level of governmental and political links between the two countries.

At the meeting, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Cuba and the Progressive Business Forum of South Africa, the African delegation stated its interest in establishing trade contacts in the tourism sphere and with the CIMEX business group to increase imports of cigars and rum, according to sources from the organizing committee.

Ramón Ripoll, deputy minister of foreign trade and foreign investment, emphasized the importance of the meeting as a means of discovering the potentialities of the two nations, in order to stimulate economic and commercial ties, which he affirmed, have great potential for development.

The official also announced a donation to Cuba from the South African government and people to contribute to offsetting damage provoked by the three powerful hurricanes that hit the island in September 2008.

Rejoice Thizwilondi, deputy minister of water and environmental affairs, who headed the delegation from that country, highlighted Cuba’s solidarity with the poorest nations of the world in the struggle for development, education and the elimination of poverty.

She also expressed thanks for the island’s contribution to the training of young students as doctors and in sending cooperative brigades to various sectors of her nation.

In that context, Féliz Loaces, a specialist at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, gave a brief summary of bilateral relations and emphasized the positive period ahead as a result of this visit.

Justice Piloso, the South African ambassador to Cuba also spoke at the business forum, as did Renier Schoeman and Daryl Swanepoel, representatives of the Progressive Business Forum.

The island’s exports to South Africa include vaccines, cigars, rum, beer and medical products, both in the context of goods and services. It imports from that country chemical products, fertilizers, construction materials, consumer goods and manufactured items such as textiles and footwear.

The two sides have signed 25 agreements, including those related to the approximately 500 Cuban cooperative workers in South Africa’s construction, health and hydraulic infrastructure sectors.

The visiting delegation of 60 business representatives fulfilled an intensive schedule that included a meeting at the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples with its president, Kenia Serrano, who gave details of the case of the five Cuban anti-terrorists imprisoned in U.S. jails.