Havana, May 26 (RHC-PL), --  The director for the Office of Mexico and Central America of the German Confederation of Cooperatives (DGFRV), Helmut Pabst, said Wednesday that Cuba is firmly set on developing cooperatives.

"I have visited non-agricultural cooperatives of the over 400 of this type that operate in Cuba, and observed there exists a strong commitment among its members to drive them forward in communities and society and I think there is space for many more," he said in an interview with Prensa Latina.

In Germany there are eight thousand cooperatives and their enterprises and federations reach a high number of institutions, he said. Four federations associated with activities such as savings and credit, agriculture, consumption and the sector of manufacturing and services are linked to the German Confederation of Cooperatives.

Cooperatives perform a very important role in the world, but their rules and conditions must be respected so they are successful and lasting, Pabst said. "Transparency, respect, honesty and will to cooperate are essential," he added.

Pabst considered it very important for associates not to distribute all the profits and surpluses, as they also have to generate financial reserves for future investments and unexpected events.

Our Confederation -he explained- collaborates with Cuba through the National Association of Economists and other institutions in support of the cooperative sector.

The expert attended the 2nd International Congress on Economic Management and Development that ended last weekend at the Convention Centre.

There have been agricultural cooperatives in Cuba since the 1960's, but during the last five years, the government has extended them to other sectors, among them construction and services.