TEHRAN (Iran News) – Iran’s Ambassador to Cuba Mr. Mohammad Hadi Sobhani has urged Iran to invest in mega projects in Cuba saying that Iran can invest in the renewable energies in Cuba because Havana is to provide 25% of its required energies through renewable energies by 2030.
Speaking in an online webinar on reviewing trade capacities between Iran and the Latin American states, Sobhani said that Cuba is the only Communist country in the western hemisphere, adding that although China and Vietnam are also considered Communist states but Cuba still has a closed security system and it has not opened like China and Vietnam. He added that of course since two years ago some issues have been discussed and happened in Cuba’s economy that it can be an opportunity for increasing cooperation between Tehran and Havana.
He said one of the economic problems of Cuba is the U.S. sanctions which have been imposed for six decades and these sanctions were intensified during the U.S. President Donald Trump era. Sobahani noted that the Covid pandemic led to the slump in Cuba’s revenues because Cuba is a tourist destination and tourism incomes account for 70% of Cuba’s GDP but since two years ago and with the pandemic, the number of tourists to Cuba has sharply decreased and it has caused economic pressure on different walks of the life in Cuba.
Sobhani noted that another economic problem of Cuba is restriction in transfer of banking havalas from the U.S. and currently 2m Cubans are living in Florida in the U.S. and this restriction regarding havalas has decreased annual revenues of Cuba by $8b.
He went on to say that of course major part of the economic problems in Cuba is mismanagement and Cubans have recently realized it and they are currently interested in increasing the participation of the private sector in economic affairs. He said of course Cuban officials are sensitive to the word of private and refrain from using this word and they mostly use the word non-government instead of the private.
On the opportunities for cooperation between Tehran and Cuba, Sobhani said that both Iran and Cuba are under sanctions and they can cooperate in the club of the sanctioned countries and there is strong determination among the officials of Iran and Cuba for enhancing cooperation.
He referred to the cooperation of Iran and Cuba in the field of biotechnology and said both countries have good experience in cooperation in this field for almost two decades, adding that Cuba was the first country which felicitated the victory of the Islamic Revolution and transferred the technology of producing vaccine to Iran.
Sobhani went on to say that Cuba is a thirsty and import-centered market which can be a very good market for exports of different types of Iranian goods, saying that the country welcomes imports of petrochemical products, fertilizers, foodstuff like dairy and fishery products and there are good opportunities for cooperation with Cuba, and Iran and Cuba can cooperate and create joint companies in fields of exporting engineering services.
He said Cuba has very good capacities in producing different types of medicines and one of the major pharmaceutical achievements of Cuba is treatment and prevention of the Alzheimer’s that Iran can import it from Cuba.
He reiterated investment in the energy sector can be a very good opportunity and Iran needs government investment in mega projects of Cuba and the government should play its role. He said Iran can invest in the field of renewable projects and especially in the solar energy in Cuba because Cuba wants to use 25% of its energy by 2030 through using renewable energies.
