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President of Angola visits Cuba
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Agreement of understanding 2014-2017 signed
Joaquín Rivery Tur
The recent conversations held between President of
Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos and Army General
Raúl Castro Ruz, president of the Councils of State
and Ministers, and delegations from both nations’
produced positive results for economic collaboration
between the two countries.
Official reception of the President
of Angola at the Palace of the Revolution
in Havana. Photo: ESTUDIOS REVOLUCIÓN
Angolan Minister Georges Rebelo Pinto
Chikoti and Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, vice president of
the Council of Ministers signed a cooperation
agreement between Angola and Cuba for the period
2014-2017. Photo: ESTUDIOS REVOLUCIÓN
During the meeting, both heads of state confirmed
the excellent state of bilateral relations, which
they emphasized as being an expression of the
historic ties of friendship and solidarity which
unite the two peoples and governments. International
issues of mutual interest were also discussed.
Dos Santos was accompanied by Edeltrude Mauricio
Fernandes Gaspar da Costa, minister of State and
head of the Civil House; Georges Rebelo Pinto
Chikoti, minister of Foreign Relations; Armando
Manuel, minister of Finance, Carlos Alberto Saravia,
diplomatic and cooperation advisor to the President
and José César Augusto “Kiluanji”, ambassador for
Angola in Cuba.
Participating on the Cuban side were, Ricardo
Cabrisas Ruiz, a vice president of the Council of
Ministers; Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, minister of
Foreign Relations, and Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz,
minister of Foreign Trade and Investment; as well as
Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Callejas, president of
the Business Administration Group and Gisela García
Rivera, ambassador for Cuba in Angola.
After the official conversations and in the
presence of the two Presidents, a Cooperation
Agreement between Angola and Cuba was singed,
relating specifically to civil construction and
public works, for the period 2014-2017, drawn up by
Georges Rebelo Pinto Chikoti and Ricardo Cabrisas
Ruiz.
The document confirms the willingness to expand
bilateral cooperation to the benefit of the two
countries, based on ties of fraternity and
solidarity. Dos Santos also placed a floral wreath
at the José Martí Monument in the Plaza de la
Revolución.
During his visit, Dos Santos toured
the Mariel Special Development Zone.
Photo: Alberto Borrego.
During his visit, Dos Santos toured the Mariel
Special Development Zone (ZEDM), in particular the
container terminal opened January 2014, a great
structural work which should directly contribute to
the country’s development as part of the updating of
Cuba’s economic model. He received a detailed
explanation of the investment advantages and
opportunities offered by the ZEDM, for both national
and foreign enterprises, whose projects must be
focused on obtaining the greater exports,
substituting imports with domestic products, and
generating new sources of employment, always in
coordination with the national economy. Dos Santos
praised the benefits and recognized the potential
for good returns which Cuba could achieve and
inquired about methods to be used to resolve
possible disputes.
Yanet Vázquez Valdés, joint director of the ZEDM
Office, stated that they are working on some 23
investment projects from countries such as Spain,
France, Italy, Germany, Brazil, China and Russia,
with significant interest in industries such as
biotechnology, food processing and agriculture,
automation, light and heavy production, shipping, as
well as the promotion of renewable energy.
She also emphasized the existence of tax benefits,
as well as speedy processing (30-60 days) and
investor assistance, minimizing paperwork.
Vázquez Valdés highlighted that another of the
guarantees focuses on legal support for potential
investors,
which will be reflected in the forthcoming review of
the Act 118 of the Foreign Investment Law.
In regards to the zone’s basic infrastructure, some
465.4 square kilometers, she stated that work on the
rail system continues, which will link with the
national rail network, allowing for significant
savings on transport costs.
The container terminals, a 100% Cuban venture and
the first enterprise to be in operation in the ZEDM,
has one of the most advanced operating systems in
the global port industry; and has through June 15,
2014, received more than 18,700 containers.
With some 702 meters of dock, the port meets the
ZEDM’s current needs and expansion is predicted in
accordance with the country’s own industrial
development.
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