Thursday, January 19, 2012

Cuba Prepares for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's Visit

Cuba prepares for Dilma Rousseff’s visit

Thursday, 19 January 2012 00:00

HAVANA. - Cuban leader Raul Castro met with Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota on Tuesday to prepare President Dilma Rousseff's visit on January 31, official broadcaster NNTV reported. During the talks, president Castro and Patriota praised the "excellent" relations between the two countries and discussed the details of Rousseff's visit to Cuba, NNTV said.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and Brazilian Ambassador to Cuba Jose Felicio were also present.

On Tuesday Patriota also visited the port of Mariel, 50 km west of Havana, which is undergoing a joint renovation due to be completed in 2013.

The project was said to be the most important joint economic undertaking of the two nations, with a total investment of around US$800 million.

Cuba intends to build the biggest container terminal in the Caribbean, along with warehouses, an industrial area, an oil port, a highway, a railway, and a 400-metre quay.

Brazil is Cuba's second-largest trading partner in Latin America as bilateral trade increased 30 percent between 2006 and 2011 to reach US$570 million last year. - Xinhua.

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