Cuba seeks normal trade relations with EU

Cuba is looking for a normal trade relationship with the European Union. For the first time in 30 years, French Foreign Minister visited Cuba. Laurent Fabius was received by his counterpart at Havana.

Trade between France and Cuba is awful. It doesn't even get to 300 million euro per year. The same thing happens between Cuba and most European countries. Now, the South-American country started talks looking for a way of normalizing trade relations.

Laurent Fabius was received at Havana, by Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister. “France wants to strengthen its ties with all of South America and, in this context, we wanted relations to be strengthened in particular with Cuba. This is the first time in 31 years that the head on French diplomacy is on an official trip to Cuba,” Fabius said.

After meeting Bruno Rodriguez, the Cuban Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius met local Catholic church leaders and representatives of French businesses in Cuba. The island country exports goods worth 5.5 billion dollars per year, mostly: coffee, tobacco, fruits, sugar and nickel while its biggest imports are petroleum and machinery.