Day.Az: When and under what circumstances diplomatic contacts between Azerbaijan and Cuba were launched?
Ilham Agayev: Cuba was one of the first countries to recognize Azerbaijan's independence. It happened on December 26, 1991. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on March 27, 1992.
However, at this time, both countries experienced one of the most difficult periods in its history. We faced aggression by neighboring Armenia, which used internal political instability in our country, incompetence and populism of the then authorities. At this time a so-called "special period" in Cuba caused by collapse of the USSR and the socialist camp, on which bulk of the economy was focused, was at its height. Cuba's GDP declined almost by half at that time.
Only through titanic efforts, experience and prestige of leaders of both countries Heydar Aliyev and Fidel Castro, the negative developments were reversed and consequences of these difficulties were overcome both in Azerbaijan and Cuba. That is why only at the beginning of this century Azerbaijani-Cuban relations began to acquire a specific content. In 2004-2005, our two countries exchanged ambassadors. Cuban ambassador to Russia and the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN acted as ambassadors.
In September 2006, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov made an official visit to Cuba. Then it was decided to increase level of diplomatic representation between our two countries. In April 2007, the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the UN Agshin Mehdiyev was concurrently accredited as ambassador to Cuba and in October 2007 Azerbaijan appointed Chargé d'affaires to Havana and Cuba opened an embassy in Baku.
I must say that they became the first diplomatic missions for both countries in respective regions – that of Azerbaijan in Latin America and the Caribbean and for Cuba in the South Caucasus. It points to many things. First and foremost this is the recognition of our countries in regional and international politics.
Q: How would you describe relations between Azerbaijan and Cuba today and what is potential of their development?
A: Speaking of the modern Azerbaijani-Cuban relations, we can say with confidence that they are successfully developing. Both countries have made great achievements in recent years under the guidance of their leaders Ilham Aliyev and Raul Castro.
Cuba is well aware of those successes which Azerbaijan reached in its socio-economic development, as well as a significant foreign policy role and authority of our country. For its part, Cuba is traditionally an important country in the region and enjoys a great prestige among the so-called "third world" countries.
The level of political cooperation between our two countries is high. Regular meetings and consultations are held between the foreign ministries of both countries. Our countries successfully cooperate in various international organizations. Azerbaijan supports position of Cuba, voting for a resolution condemning the United States embargo against Cuba, which is heavily impacts primarily daily lives of ordinary Cubans.
Q: What is annual trade turnover between the countries and what are the main trends of imports and exports?
A: Regarding economic relations between our countries, I must admit that they are not sufficient and do not meet potential of Azerbaijan and Cuba and discord with level of political relations. The trade turnover between our coutries is miserable. Much remains to be done in this direction. First of all, prospects of developing economic relations must be opened, contractual basis between our countries must be created and strengthened for business entities and business people of both countries.
The first steps have already been taken in this direction. Azerbaijani-Cuban intergovernmental commission has operated since 2007 which is led by Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Qarayev from Azerbaijan. Representatives of Cuban businesses have made a number of trips to Azerbaijan including last year visit of President of Cuban Chamber of Commerce to Baku.
With regard to the spheres of mutual interest, they are sufficient. The most promising in our economic relations are tourism, oil and gas and information sectors, pharmacology and health care, education, sports and other areas. Again, you only need to actively introduce and bring together actors of production of goods and services. In this regard, participation in various trade fairs and economic forums can play an invaluable role.
Traditional annual 27th Havana Fair will be held in Havana in early November which will bring together thousands of companies from more than 50 countries. This is one of the most influential economic forums in Latin America and the Caribbean. It would be very useful representatives of Azerbaijani businesses to take part in it.
Q: How many Azerbaijanis live in Cuba? Certainly, Armenians also live in Cuba?
A: I have already talked about the thousands of Cubans who studied in different cities of the former Soviet Union. Naturally, they sometimes found family happiness here. So, a colony of citizens of the former USSR, mainly composed of wives of Cubans has been formed in Cuba. After the collapse of the USSR and thereby causing economic hardship in Cuba, in 1990s many Soviet citizens and now the citizens of the various independent republics had left Cuba. However, a considerable number of them did not leave and stayed in their new homeland.
Among the former Soviet citizens who have been in Cuba there are representatives of various nationalities, including the Armenians. I must say that even before the 1959 revolution in Cuba a small number of Armenians, mostly immigrants from the Middle East, had already lived here. However, many of them left Cuba in different ways, especially during 1990s.
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