Cuba invites India to explore its resource-rich areas

Cuba invites India to explore its resource-rich areas
PTI | May 27, 2013, 11.25 PM IST

NEW DELHI: Reeling under severe financial sanctions, Cuba on Monday
sought India's help in exploiting its vast natural resource base and as
well as enhanced economic cooperation with it and other BRICS countries.

"India is a world leader in the field of information and satellite
technology which they can use to cooperate with us in exploration of
resource rich regions in our country," Cuban foreign minister Bruno
Rodriguez Parrilla said delivering a lecture here.

Blaming embargoes and economic sanctions for Cuba's current economic
situation, he said that the country is in the process of adopting the
"modern culture" into its society.

"We wish to seek a higher level of economic cooperation with the India
and the other BRICS nations, which we consider to be valuable," he said.

Parrilla said the Latin American country which is facing severe economic
crisis is in the process of implementing economic reforms.

"We are trying to bring in a lot of changes in Cuba, including the
abolition of the two currency system and encouraging investments from
small private entities and cooperative societies," he said.

On ties with the United States, which according to Parrilla are a major
setback to its economic growth, he said that "the relations are stuck in
the Cold War era and there is no reason for it to remain so".

He rued that there has been no effort on the part of the US to make it
better.

Asked about the US including Cuba in the list of countries sponsoring
terrorism, he said, "Anyone who is in their senses will not believe
that. There is no reason for the US to include us in that".

Offering to cooperate with India in the pharmaceutical sector, he said
that Cuba and other Latin American countries who are a part of the
Community of Latin American and Caribbean States ( CELAC) have
considerable amount of expertise and resources to offer to Indian companies.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Cuba-invites-India-to-explore-its-resource-rich-areas/articleshow/20298296.cms