Cuba eyes India help to kick start sugar mills

As sanctions from the former U.S. embargo lift, Cuba has high hopes for trade and information sharing with India. Sugar is one of Cuba’s key commodities and a partnership with India could lead to the modernization of some of the 160 sugar mills that were in operation before the embargo. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Cuba in September, and sights are set on showing Mr. Modi what Cuba has to offer in terms of high level medical education, biotech, and pharmaceuticals.

India may be interested in accessing the gold, and other precious minerals, that Cuba can offer. The recent Panama Canal expansion will provide a direct route from the East to the West Indies and Cuba will be a gateway to Central America, the U.S. and the Caribbean. Cuban ambassador to India Oscar I Martínez Cordovés says, “besides tourism, both countries can collaborate in various sectors,” he hopes to attract capital from Indian investors for improvements on infrastructure, technology and industry. Both countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) but commercial ties were limited due to the U.S. sanctions on trade.

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