Manuel Marrero ends visit to Russia.  Photo: Reuters

Moscow, June 17 (RHC) -- Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero and the Cuban delegation accompanying him today ended a fruitful official visit to Russia, where he ratified the will to strengthen long-term relations between the two nations.

The visit of the chief executive of the Caribbean nation took place in the context of the expansion and consolidation of ties between Russia and Cuba, especially in the economic and trade sectors, and with the aim of expanding and consolidating bilateral relations between the two countries.

In the initial stage of the stay in the Russian Federation, Marrero participated in the city of Sochi, in various events of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), and where he spoke at the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the Third Eurasian Congress.

Likewise, the head of the Cuban delegation visited the exhibition "Eurasia is our home", where four stands of Cuban companies were displayed.

In that context, he presided over the signing of three important documents between the Biocubafarma business group and Russian and Belarusian companies in the sector.

In the Black Sea city, the Cuban Prime Minister held a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Mishustin, who declared that conditions are created to expand cooperation, and the work of Russian companies in the Caribbean country is added.

The head of government proposed to create a multinational alliance in the biopharmaceutical sector to achieve sovereignty in the vaccine and drug production sector within the EEU.

The second part of the visit took place in the Russian capital, where Marrero held meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the heads of both chambers of the Russian Parliament, with the leader of the Communist Party, with friends of solidarity and with the staff of the official Cuban mission in Moscow.

He also visited sites of historical interest and paid tribute at the monuments to the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, and the tomb of the unknown soldier, on the Kremlin walls.

As a culmination of the official visit to the Russian Federation, which lasted from June 6 to 17, Marrero and the delegation he heads participated in the sessions of the XXVI St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

On Thursday, at the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Cuban head of government took part in a working session entitled "Sovereign development as the basis of a just world".

Marrero referred in his speech that his country conceives foreign investment as a key element for the social economic development plan, tourism, agriculture, industry and other spheres. "We are open to the world, open for business," he said.