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Martin Hacthoun
 Havana, Apr 29 (Prensa
Latina)
Qatar and
Cuba talked about energy cooperation and world
politics during the visit Thursday of Sheik Abdullah Bin Hamad
Al-Attiyah that served to broaden the ties between
the two countries.
"We´ve come to keep
expanding and strengthening the relations that our Emir and President Fidel
Castro had forged and to help each other in ways that we agree upon," the
second vice President of the Council of Ministers of Qatar told plenglish.com.
The Emir of
Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani opened the path
for improved relations with
Cuba when he visited
Havana in 2000. President Fidel Castro paid back the
visit to the Gulf state in 2002.
Since then, bilateral links have been building up. The
two countries set up embassies on each nation and have discussed cooperation on
varied fields, the Qatari ambassador Ali Saad Al-Kharji said.
On the first item of his working agenda, Sheik Hamad Al-Attiyah, who is also Qatar´s minister of energy and industry, visited the
headquarters of the Cuban oil enterprise Cuba Petroleo
Union (CUPET) in Old Havana.
There he was briefed over several of the Island´s projects on this field. Present in the meeting
were Cuba´s Industry Minister Yadira
Garcia and CUPET General Director Fidel Rivero Prieto.
The two sides exchanged information and ideas and the
high-ranking guest took the chance to offer Cuba Qatar´s
technical assistance on this field in which it has vast experience.
Qatar is one of the key members of the Organization
of Petroleum Exporting Countries and also participates in the Gas Producing and
Exporting Forum, a group of 15 natural gas-producing nations.
In his last official meeting in
Havana, the Qatari Sheik discussed international
issues with Abelardo Moreno, Cuba´s
Deputy Foreign Minister, in particular they talked about the forthcoming 2nd
South Summit, slated to take place in
Doha next June. The first gathering was held in
Cuba in 2000.
"Cuba is helping to coordinate and prepare this
meeting so it comes to a successful ending. We have the experience of being the
host nation for the 1st
Summit,"
Moreno pointed out.
The gathering which will be attended by many Heads of
Government and State is sponsored by the so-called Group of 77 and
China that has today over 150 nations affiliated to
it.
"Cuba will be participating in the
South Summit with a high-ranking delegation, so we exchanged
views about which the aspirations of
Qatar and
Cuba are for this important meeting," the host
deputy foreign minister said.
The Qatari energy and industry minister´s
visit has coincided with the presence in Havana of Venezuela´s
President Hugo Chavez, whose country is also one of OPEC´s
key members and the world´s fourth largest oil
producer. It also a relevant member of the Group of 77 and
China.
Sheik Hamad Al-Attiyah and his entourage had other protocol meetings on
Thursday and on Friday they will tour
Varadero
Beach, Cuba´s most
developed sand and sun tourist destination, before flying back to
Qatar
(Prensa Latina) 29 April, 2005
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Yadira
