Castro thanks Russia for aid to Cuba hit in hurricane Sandy

Havana: At a meeting with Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov Chairman of the State Council and the Council of Ministers of Cuba Raul Castro expressed gratitude to the Russian leadership for the aid to the Cubans, who were affected in the hurricane Sandy. The meeting was held yesterday after the 10th session of the bilateral intergovernmental commission, which Manturov co-chairs from Russia, Russian Ambassador in Cuba Mikhail Kamynin said Tuesday.

"Raul Castro expressed sincere gratitude for the urgent aid, which was given by the Russian leadership to the Cuban people, who were affected in the hurricane Candy," Kamynin noted. Meanwhile, the results of the anniversary meeting of the intergovernmental commission were considered at the meeting, and "it was noted that the medium-term cooperation program signed upon its results is a good basis to bring bilateral relations on a new level," the Russian ambassador added. At the meeting of the intergovernmental commission the authoritative Russian delegation headed by the minister of industry and trade discussed a broad scope of issues with their Cuban partners. The intergovernmental commission signed a program of trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation between Russia and Cuba until 2020, as well as several other agreements thanks to an intensive joint work. Last week the Russian emergency airplane has brought the building materials to restore the destroyed houses in the eastern Cuban city Santiago de Cuba. A total weight of the cargo reached about 32 tonnes. Itar-Tass/ PTI