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The 34th edition of the largest international business fair in Havana (FIHAV 2016) has been scheduled from October 31 to November 4. The event will contribute not only to promote Cuban exports, but also it aims to attract foreign capital.
Among the side events, the celebration of the First Investment Forum which will take place during 1st and 2nd of November which includes the Business Portfolio 2016, as well as bilateral meetings between Cuban and foreign investors. In addition, a panel of experts will inform about the opportunities the Cuban market offers.
According to the Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, the priority sectors are tourism, renewable energy, agriculture and the Special Economic Development Zone of Mariel (ZEDM). In the field of exports beyond traditional elements such as cigars and rum, medical and pharmaceutical services are now the primary goods for export.
FIHAV 2016, advertised as the best of its kind in the Cuban capital. 75 countries has been confirmed its participation, as well as the representation of 325 national companies.
(Prensa Latina) Cuba and the United States are negotiating six new cooperation agreements in sectors of mutual interest, said Cuban Foreign Ministry official Josefina Vidal after the fourth meeting of the Bilateral Commission on Friday.
The director general of the U.S. Department at the Cuban Foreign Ministry noted the accords cover law enforcement, seismic monitoring, exchange of meteorological information, protected marine areas, search and rescue operations and the response to hydrocarbon spillage in the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida.
These agreements that we are negotiating would be adopted, if possible, before the end of 2016, she noted during a Q&A session on Twitter, a virtual dialogue she had under the tag #AskCubaUS.
Vidal, who on Friday chaired the new meeting of the commission, informed that between October and December, officials from the two countries will pay high-level visits and will hold about a dozen technical meetings.
The bilateral mechanism that was activated a year ago held its fourth meeting on Friday, when both parties reviewed the results of discussions during the previous contact in May. They also analyzed the new steps to move forward in bilateral relations, which were reestablished in July 2015.
According to Vidal, once again, the Cuban delegation noted to its counterpart, headed by the joint secretary for the Western Hemisphere, Mari Carmen Aponte, the need to put an end to U.S. policies that affect rapprochement, like the economic, commercial and financial blockade and the programs aimed at causing internal changes in Cuba.