This meeting continues a series of bilateral contacts at the top level and is the third such meeting for both leaders. Earlier, Vladimir Putin and Raul Castro met in Havana in December 2000 and in Moscow in February 2009.
The key themes at the upcoming Russian-Cuban talks will be aspects of bilateral ties, particularly in trade and investment, the increase and diversification of trade, as well as priority cooperation projects in energy, transport and telecommunications.
Cuba is one of Russia’s longtime friends and partners in Latin America, with whom Russia has strategic cooperation. July 6, 2012 marks 110 years since the establishment of Russian-Cuban diplomatic relations.