(Shorthand Versions - Presidency of the Republic)
Dear Mr. Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus and President pro tempore of the Eurasian Economic Union;
Mr. Bakytzhan Sagintayev, Chairman of the College of the Eurasian Economic Commission;
Heads of States of the member countries and observers of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council;
Distinguished guests:
A long journey and an honorable mission bring us back to historic and beautiful Minsk. It is truly an honor for Cuba to participate in this edition of the 4th Eurasian Economic Forum, an essential platform for business exchange in the integrating space of the Union.
For the second time, a Cuban business delegation organized by our Chamber of Commerce is attending this Forum. This delegation is an expression of our will to strengthen economic, commercial and financial ties with the Union, with its members and observers, countries with which we share excellent relations and a high level of dialogue based on historic ties of friendship.
Cuban companies that represent us here, despite the hard blockade of the powerful neighbor, today offer various options for their exportable products and investment opportunities, along with the benefits of our legislation and our market, the high level of professional and technical resources we have, and the facilities and infrastructure created in different areas of the country.
A panel on "Opportunities for the development of economic ties between the Eurasian Economic Union and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean" has been organized with the aim of informing and clarifying the ways to further deepen this inter-business relationship.
The initiative to use Cuba as a logistics and investment hub, taking advantage of the facilities provided by the Mariel Special Development Zone and the Island's geographical advantages, to serve as a point of entry and expansion of Eurasian products to the Latin American and Caribbean region, is also aimed at those ends.
This is a particularly important project, which would enable the creation of a logistics center for the reception and distribution of cargo from the countries of the Union to Latin America and vice versa. This would facilitate transit and expand the export potential of the members of the Union.
In continuity with these objectives, I would like to extend to everyone a cordial invitation for the Eurasian Economic Commission and companies from its member countries to attend the Forty-first Edition of the Havana International Fair (FIHAV 2025), which will take place from November 24 to 29.
We are open to deepen the exchange in key sectors such as biopharmaceuticals, agriculture, sugar agribusiness, light industry and iron and steel; also the chemical industry, transportation, construction, communications, digitalization and artificial intelligence, renewable energies, tourism, health, science, education and sports.
The cooperation we achieve must lead us to mechanisms of complementarity that foster sustained and mutually beneficial growth.
In this effort to build a common space for development and integration, based on fairer and more equitable economic relations, we ratify Cuba's full willingness and readiness to continue moving forward together.
Thank you very much for your welcome and support. Together and integrated, we will be able to overcome challenges that today seem impossible.
Thank you very much (Applause).
