Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel met with the CEO of the Russian state oil company Rosneft, Igor Setchine, in Havana to discuss the energy crisis in the country. The visit comes at a time when Cuba is experiencing severe fuel shortages, resulting in power outages and food lines.
Strengthened cooperation with Russia
The press release from the Cuban presidency does not specify the purpose of Igor Setchine’s visit. However, this meeting shows the willingness of both countries to strengthen their energy cooperation. In November 2022, the Cuban president visited Russia to sign several oil supply agreements with Russia and Algeria.
Russia, targeted by economic sanctions, reaffirmed its support for Cuba. According to the Presidency, Russian President Vladimir Putin “directly and personally supervises all problems and issues concerning cooperation between Russia and Cuba.
A strategic partnership to address economic sanctions
Since May 2022, Cuba has been suffering from a chronic shortage of electricity production. To address this situation, the country has announced that it will strengthen its “strategic partnership” with Russia in 2023. In February, a donation of 25,000 tons of wheat from Russia arrived in Havana.
Cuba has been under a U.S. embargo since 1962, making it difficult to obtain fuel. Moscow, for its part, has been targeted by a battery of economic sanctions from the United States, Canada and the European Union since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022.
By receiving the CEO of Rosneft, the Cuban president hopes to strengthen energy cooperation with Russia and address the electricity and gasoline shortages affecting the country.
