Havana, August 13 (RHC) -— The general director of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Roberto Azevedo, is paying a visit to Cuba as part of a tour that includes Mexico and El Salvador.

Azevedo arrived Tuesday on the island and he is scheduled to meet with Cuban government vice-president Ricardo Cabrisas with Foreign Trade Minister Rodrigo Malmierca and with Deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno.

The WTO executive will also visit the Special Development Zone in the harbor of Mariel, which is expected to become the main door to Cuban trade activity.

The World Trade Organization was created in 1995 to replace the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) with the aim of regulating trade exchange among its members on the basis of equality and reciprocity. At present the WTO has 160 member states.