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Prensa
Latina |
Fidel Castro: ALBA Determines Latin American Future
by Prensa Latina
Posted: Apr 29, 2005 20:30 UTC
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HAVANA (PL) - President Fidel Castro declared that Cuba-Venezuela relations are an example of what Latin American integration could be and stressed that the future of the region is linked to the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA).
The Cuban leader made the closing speech of the First Cuba-Venezuela Meeting for the Implementation of ALBA at Havana"s Conference Center on Thursday. His Venezuelan counterpart also attended the ceremony.
The two-day meeting among ministers, top officials and business people from both countries fulfilled the main goal of the Joint Declaration and Agreement both presidents signed in 2004.
The meeting´s results were seen in the Final Declaration, which includes 49 documents such as government agreements, letters of intention, understanding memorandum, contracts and bilateral agreements.
Cuba made 412 million dollars in purchases from 250 small, medium and big companies in Venezuela after the closing of an exhibition of products from that South American nation.
In his speech, Fidel Castro praised the quality of Venezuelan products and predicted that exhibitors will hold Friday a big meeting with Cuban officials from different sectors.
The Cuban leader stated that food, footwear, clothes, lingerie, furniture, toys, household articles and raw materials are among the main products bought from Venezuela, adding that this is just a starting operation since both countries are planning to broaden purchase-sales in other products.
Fidel Castro said that recent agreements will help to strengthen Venezuelan small and medium companies and the creation of tens of thousands of jobs in that South American country.
Among conditions established in the agreement, the Cuban head of State emphasized that the Venezuelan products will enter Cuba duty free and will be offered to the Cuban population at reasonable prices, aimed at increasing their standard of living.
Referring to ALBA, the Cuban president expressed his confidence that better results will be seen in 2006 and suggested Havana host a follow-up meeting that year and draw up new plans.
On Thursday, Fidel Castro y Hugo Chávez also attended the signing of several agreements, through which the two first Venezuelan companies in Cuba were created.
One of the companies is a branch of Venezuelan Oil State Company (PDVSA) and the other is the creation of Venezuela-Cuba Industrial Bank S.A.
Fidel Castro refuted declarations by US top officials who say that Cuba and Venezuela are destabilizing Latin America and stressed that both countries are contributing to the interests of their peoples and the rest of the nations in the region.
The Cuban leader emphasized that the US is the one who is really destabilizing Latin America, considering it a backyard and despising multiethnic peoples.
ir/mf/ajs/asg
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