MOSCOW, April 30 (RIA Novosti) – The leadership of Cuba supports Russia’s stance on the situation in Ukraine and opposes double standards and sanctions, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met this week with Cuban President Raul Castro and his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla during a visit to the Caribbean country, his first stop on a tour of Latin America.
Lavrov also held informal talks with revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.
“The sides stressed their full commonality of approaches, in view of strengthening multilateral principles in world affairs, multipolarity and mutual respect,” the ministry said in a statement.
Lavrov underlined the need to end the economic, trade and financial embargo imposed by the United States on Cuba, which has imposed severe hardships on the Cuban people.
During the talks, held in a friendly atmosphere, the sides exchanged views on a range of issues of bilateral cooperation, including the development of political dialogue, trade, and economic and cultural ties.
“The sides discussed particular aspects of coordination on the global arena, expressing support for strengthening Russia’s cooperation with the Latin American states, including their integration alliances,” the statement said.
The parties voiced plans to continue building up a strategic partnership between Moscow and Havana.
The fate of Crimea, formerly an autonomous republic within Ukraine and part of Russia since last month, has triggered the most serious geopolitical showdown between Moscow and the West since the end of the Cold War.
Russia, which has been recently targeted by US and EU sanctions against both individuals and companies, has repeatedly warned that talking in the language of sanctions is “inappropriate and counterproductive” and warned its Western partners about the “boomerang effect” that sanctions would have.
