Russian and Cuban leaders ‘synchronized their positions’ on international issues during their talks Monday, but did not discuss the possibility of Russian military bases in Cuba, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov has said.
“You know that relations between Russia and Cuba have deep traditions…and indeed, the synchronization of positions on international and regional issues of mutual interest to both countries is extremely important. This is what the leaders of the two countries spoke about yesterday,” Peskov said, speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
When asked about whether talks between Vladimir Putin and Miguel Diaz-Canel on Russian-Cuban “coordination…in the international arena” included possible increased military-technical cooperation or the deployment of Russian military bases on the Caribbean island, Peskov answered bluntly “No.”
The Russian and Cuban presidents spoke by phone on Monday, with a Kremlin press release indicating that the talks included a “thorough exchange of views on the subject of bilateral trade, economic and investment cooperation.”
The two sides “also discussed issues of further coordination of the actions of the two countries in the international arena in accordance with the principles of strategic partnership and the traditions of friendship and mutual understanding.”
Finally, “the intention to work closely together to strengthen bilateral relations was agreed, and it was resolved to intensify contacts at various levels,” according to the Kremlin.
Monday’s talks followed speculation by US media that Moscow may seek to deploy military capabilities in the Western Hemisphere near the United States in response to NATO’s troop and missile deployments and continued expansion toward Russia’s borders in Eastern Europe.
Source: Agencies
