CUBA’S AMBASSADOR MARCELO CABALLERO TORRES: AZERBAIJAN’S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY SHOULD BE RESTORED, WE SUPPORT YOUR COUNTRY IN THIS ISSUE 100 PERCENT

APA
April 13 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Viktoria Dementieva – APA. Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of Cuba to Azerbaijan Marcelo Caballero Torres
interviewed by APA

-How do you estimate the level of bilateral relations between
Azerbaijan and Cuba?

-The relations between our countries were established in 1992. Until
last year our relations with Azerbaijan had been regulated by Cuba’s
embassy in Russia. Our states have always had good relations, 70
percent of the equipment used in our oil sector has been imported by
Azerbaijan, let alone the products we bought during Soviet period. For
example, the conditioners produced in Azerbaijan are still used in
Cuba. In 2006 Cuban government passed a decision to open its diplomatic
mission in Azerbaijan. It was one more step in the development of our
relations. The relations between our countries are extending thanks
to the work of the intergovernmental commissions. The first meeting
of Cuba-Azerbaijan intergovernmental commission was held in Cuba in
November, 2007. The second meeting of the commission will be held on
May 18-19. We have put forward our proposals concerning the meeting
during the visit of the co-chair of the commission Abulfas Garayev
to Cuba. The co-chair of the commission from Cuba – Deputy Minister
of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investments will lead the delegation to
Baku. The composition of the commission has not been specified yet,
but I think that it will include the representatives of Industry
Ministry, Health Ministry and maybe Sport Ministry.

We attach special importance to the second meeting of the
intergovernmental commission, as we still have about ten draft
agreements ready for signing. We plan to sign agreements on culture,
trade, energy and sport during the meeting. We hope that the trade
turnover between our countries will increase after the meeting
of the intergovernmental commission. We are interested in buying
food products, oil industry equipment from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani
businessmen may be interested in buying cigars, rum, sugar and products
of biotechnology from Cuba. Biotechnologies, biological preparations,
medical services have developed much in Cuba. Azerbaijan may take
interest in it. We can exchange specialists in medical sphere.

-What other spheres in Cuba may be interesting for Azerbaijan?

– Speaking of Cuba, one usually thinks about tourism, but Cuba also
has great potential in oil sector, we produce 4 million tones of
oil and gas every year. Risk weighted agreements are signed with
various oil companies, companies carry out exploration and produce
oil. Azerbaijan has great experience in oil production and we hope that
your country will participate in exploring oil wells in future. As
regards sports, it is possible to cooperate in preparing boxers and
wrestlers. Moreover, we have a project to hold Days of Azerbaijani
Culture in Cuba and Days of Cuban Culture in Azerbaijan. the project
may be realized within the framework of the third session of the
intergovernmental commission in February next year. It will be very
interesting, because there are a lot of people in Cuba, who studied
in Azerbaijan.

-What about plans to improve cooperation between Cuba and Azerbaijan
in education?

– Cuban students studied in Azerbaijan took high posts, particularly
in oil sector of Cuba now. There are many general managers, deputy
ministers and directors among them. I hope well develop cooperation
in this field further. The education project considers our cooperation
with Baku Oil Academy. If Azerbaijan is interested, we will carry out
the student exchange programs too. Professor of the Cuba International
Relations Institute delivered lectures at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic
Academy.

-Are there Azerbaijanis residing in Cuba and do they have any
organization there?

-No. There is only the organization of Cuban students studied once in
Baku. The Azerbaijani charge d’affairs in Cuba has regular contacts
with this organization and keeping them in touch with Azerbaijan. There
is a Cuba-Azerbaijan friendship group at the Cuban parliament. I have
regular relations with parliamentary group of both countries and
this is one of my duties. The interparliamentary friendship groups
have not held their meetings yet and I am working to organize their
meeting. Four parliamentarians were involved in Azerbaijan-Cuba and six
– in Cuba-Azerbaijan friendship groups. Vice Speaker of Azerbaijani
Parliament Ziyafat Asgarov was invited to Cuba. I hope he will visit
Cuba in 2009 and will found close relations between the Cuban and
Azerbaijani parliaments.

-How is the Cuban foreign policy today? Particularly, relations with
the United States arouse interest. President Barack Obama ordered to
lift the part of sanctions against Cuba…

-The sanctions are still in force. The President of Cuba said we
were ready to establish the relations, to launch dialogue with the
new US administration and to discuss any issue under the condition
of respecting the sovereignty of each part. Seven members of the US
Senate are on a visit to Cuba now. They were received by President
Raul Castro and discussed the prospects of US-Cuba relations. I don’t
know how it will be, but the US Senators’ visit to Cuba says many
things about that. We appreciate it as first positive step. However
the sanctions imposed against Cuba, including ban on US travelers to
Cuba, are still in force. Only the Cuban people living in the United
States and having relatives in Cuba are allowed to visit the country
once a year. This sanction is a violation of human rights. If even
Obama has good intentions, it is difficult for one person to change
the long-year system in the United States. We have to wait for the
progresses in this field. Both sides express willingness to meet and
both Obama and our president accepted it as a progress.

-Can you make prognosis on the normalization of Cuba-US relations?

-In comparison with previous US administrations, Obama’s administration
is better to work together. It is possible to normalize relations
with Obama administration because we are not witnessing strong
confrontations at least. Let see will this person to change the
whole system? There is only 180 km between Cuba and USA and therefore
establishing of trade relations is useful for both of them.

-How is Cuba’s reaction to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict?

– We are supporting the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, closely
working with Azerbaijan within the international organizations and
clearly expressing our position to our Azerbaijani colleagues. As
the Azerbaijani leadership says, we hope that the conflict will be
resolved peacefully. The key issue is that the justice will win and
the lands will be returned to their owners. The territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan must be restored and we show 100-percent support to
Azerbaijan in this issue.
From: Baghdasarian