Istanbul, Turkey - The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, held a meeting on a transit visit to this city with Turkish businessmen convened by DEIK, a business diplomacy organization that manages the foreign economic relations of the Turkish private sector.
The Head of State described the meeting as "totally revealing", given the interest of Turkish businessmen in expanding and strengthening investments in Cuba. “I believe we can do many things together," said Díaz-Canel.
Before some 40 businessmen from the Eurasian country, associated with sectors such as energy, tourism, health, aviation and textile productions, the Cuban President gave a brief account of some of the main investments being developed between Cuba and Türkiye.
He highlighted the contract for the supply of electricity generation by means of floating plants, of which there are currently seven in the country; the development of three photovoltaic parks of 20 megawatts each; the academic exchange between universities; the existence of cooperation projects in the areas of agriculture; and the use of renewable energies in search of energy efficiency.
FROM CUBA TO TÜRKIYE
Speaking about the business opportunities for Turkish businessmen in Cuba, the Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz, explained that special attention is devoted to the promotion of science and innovation as part of the updating of the national economic model.
He explained that the private sector and to cooperatives has been given greater participation to complement the role of state-owned enterprises, which are immersed in an overhauling, with the purpose of becoming more efficient. "Through the diversification of actors and the linkage with them, we think we can advance in the update of our economy," he said.
After explaining about the functioning of the Mariel Special Development Zone and the projects being carried out there, Malmierca Díaz commented that Cuba by bringing foreign capital to Cuba, the country not only seeks financing, but also to attract technology, export abroad as a whole, and create jobs.
Cuba offers business opportunities in almost all sectors of the economy, and "we will continue to work to generate actions that will make the country an increasingly attractive destination for foreign investors. We are going to work intensively, from the Government, to help facilitate the help facilitate the possibilities of Turkish companies in our country.
Then, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, explained the mutually beneficial investment possibilities in the sector, as well as others that are already underway.
FROM TÜRKIYE TO CUBA
Turkish businessmen prefer actions to words when it comes to investing in Cuba. This was ratified by the president of DEIK, Nail Olpak, who also expressed the interest of the companies that make up the organization to increase ties, especially in sectors such as health and medicine production, energy, infrastructure and others.
A dozen representatives of companies that have investments with Cuba, or are interested in doing so, also took the floor.
The willingness to offer greater support to the island in different areas and to help provide an integral solution to the generation problem that exists in the country was ratified. Regarding the joint work with Cuban specialists, the professionalism with which they work was highlighted.
President Díaz-Canel said described the contribution of Karadeniz Holding during the energy contingency the nation is going through as vital. "You are part of the hope the Cuban people have in improving the energy situation," he said.
Other sectors in which the Turkish businessmen has marked interest in investing are health and biotechnology. Several of them coincided in highlighting Cuba’s advances in biotechnology and its potential for investment. The purpose is to investigate what possibilities exist to increase cooperation in health, they said.
The Cuban Head of State assured that the business modality in the field of health can be very diverse and covers different areas such as clinical trials, technology transfer, joint research, and carrying out triangular projects to help third countries.
The Turkish businessmen also expressed many proposals and interests in other areas, such as tourism, cosmetics production, where there have already been successful experiences; and the textile industry. Regarding the latter, in which Türkiye has a large production and export market, ideas were shared that would make it possible to promote actions to advance and open up the possibilities in
investments that would make it possible to rescue several of the plants on the Island, and improve their technology or put them into operation.
"We are going to be part of Cuba's economic revolution," said Ibrahim Yildirim, one of the directors of DEIK.
Translated by ESTI
