Cuba-Britain business forum produces deals worth $400 mn

Cuba-Britain business forum produces deals worth $400 mn
Published April 30, 2015 EFE

Cuba and Britain signed investment accords in tourism, energy and
agriculture valued at approximately $400 million during a business forum
held this week in Havana, the state-run Web site Cubadebate reported
Thursday.

The agreements include the construction of a new golf course on the
island, as well as investments in agriculture and projects in the energy
sector, John Hutton, the co-president of Cuba Initiative, a
Cuban-British project launched in 1995, told local media.

The signing of the pacts took place within the framework of a business
seminar sponsored by Cuba Initiative in Havana, a meeting that began on
Tuesday with the presence of Cuban authorities and representatives of a
32-company British trade mission, the most important delegation of its
kind to visit the island in recent years.

Lord Hutton and Cuban Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Rodrigo
Malmierca presided at the opening of the forum, which was also attended
by the executive director of the London Chamber of Commerce, Colin
Stanbridge, and the president of the Cuban Chamber of Commerce, Orlando
Hernandez Guillen.

"It's been a very successful mission. ... I think there are good
opportunities in Cuba. We've come at an opportune time and we've made
some progress, and I hope we can repeat this in the future," Lord Hutton
told local media.

Cuba and Britain are working to increase their $100 million trade
balance, which in 2014 suffered a 40 percent decline, according to
official figures.

Currently, Britain is Cuba's 9th largest trading partner within the
European Union. EFE

Source: Cuba-Britain business forum produces deals worth $400 mn | Fox
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