Raul Castro admires Nursultan Nazarbayev’s political wisdom: Cuban ambassador
"I conveyed to President Nursultan Nazarbayev the fraternal greetings of the Cuban Government and the nation of Cuba, in particular, the President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba, Army General Raul Castro, whom he knows personally. Mr. Raul remembers the President of Kazakhstan, admires his courage, political wisdom as a strategist, the Leader of the Nation, and warmly recalls his visit to Havana. I also conveyed on his behalf the very best wishes of good health, new achievements in heading the Government of Kazakhstan, peace and prosperity to the nation of Kazakhstan, and also wished enhancing our unconditional friendship and win-win partnership," Emilio Pevida Pupo told reporters.
The new ambassador highlighted that it is a great honor for him to represent Cuba in Kazakhstan and, despite the geographical distance between the two countries, expressed confidence that there are ample opportunities and a great potential for developing mutually beneficial cooperation for the benefit of the nations that would meet the interests of both states.
"At such a solemn moment, I undertake to continue the excellent work done by previous ambassadors in strengthening the bilateral ties between Cuba and Kazakhstan. Being an ambassador implies enormous responsibility, but I assume it with pleasure. (...) Cuba is one of the first countries that recognized Kazakhstan's independence and established diplomatic ties with it. Developing these ties with the Republic of Kazakhstan is of particular importance for my Government. I must assure you that I will devote all my efforts to it during my stay in this beautiful and hospitable country. (...) We have extensive experience in healthcare, education, sports, culture, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industry. We are ready to share our success with the Kazakh people with pleasure," the ambassador said.
Earlier, the Head of State informed the foreign ambassador of Kazakhstan's interest in expanding bilateral cooperation with Cuba. "Kazakh-Cuban ties have been gaining momentum recently. In the course of negotiations with the Cuban authorities, we have determined new prospects of further cooperation. It is crucial to continue our work to gin up trade and political interaction," Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
It should be noted that diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Cuba were established on March 24, 1992. In 1993, the Embassy of Cuba was opened in Almaty, and was relocated to Astana in 1999. The trade turnover amounted to $23.9 million between the two countries in January-October 2017.