Cuban President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez, who got here to Ankara on the invitation of President Erdoğan, was welcomed with an official ceremony by Erdoğan.
While the cavalrymen greeted Diaz’s car on the road in entrance of the Complex, President Erdoğan welcomed Diaz on the fundamental entrance of the Presidential Complex.
While the nationwide anthems of the 2 nations have been sung with 21 weapons, Diaz Guard Regiment saluted the Ceremonial Continent. Later, President Erdogan and Diaz posed on the steps in entrance of the Turkish and Cuban flags.
After the bilateral conferences, President Erdoğan and Cuban President Diaz made statements in entrance of the cameras. Reminding that the final president-level go to from Cuba to Turkey was in 1996, on the event of Habitat, organized by the revolutionary chief Fidel Castro throughout his mayorship in Istanbul, President Erdoğan continued as follows:
“In 2016, I made the first official visit from Turkey at the Presidential level to Cuba. The visit of the President of the Republic is of particular importance in that it coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of relations between our countries. Once again, I welcome the President and his delegation in your presence. I again convey my condolences for those who lost their lives in the explosions in Makanzaz in August and the hurricane in September.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtRpC9u0GSA
Expressing that he attaches significance to rising cooperation with Cuba, Erdoğan stated: “I am particularly pleased with the increase in high-level visits from Cuba to our country. During our meetings with the President, we discussed Turkey-Cuba relations from all aspects. We are also pleased to see that we have a strong will to strengthen our cooperation. “The effect of the unilateral sanctions imposed on Cuba for years is obvious. We have confirmed our determination to increase our trade volume to 200 million dollars with my esteemed friend. We evaluated the opportunities to develop existing cooperation in fields such as energy, tourism, construction, agriculture, development, health and environment,” he stated.
Cuban President in Ankara: Turkish Firms Show Interest in Cuba
Emphasizing that the curiosity of Turkish corporations in Cuba is continually rising regardless of the US sanctions, President Erdoğan stated, “I believe that the President’s contacts with our business world in Istanbul will be very productive. THY, which organizes three flights a week between Istanbul and Havana, contributes to our social and cultural relations. Hopefully, Turkish companies’ investments in Cuba will increase in the coming period. We will continue the technical support provided by TIKA in the field of agricultural development in Cuba. We are among the few countries that have developed their own domestic vaccines against the coronavirus. We discussed entering joint vaccine investments in the next period in our bilateral meeting. We will take our cooperation in the field to a much higher level,” he stated.
Speaking after Erdoğan, Miguel Diaz Canel thanked for the nice and cozy welcome and stated, “We have always considered the values, rich history and culture of the Turkish people valuable. It is an honor for us to be here. We thank the esteemed President Erdoğan very much. We celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations. “In our bilateral meeting with Mr. Erdogan, we realized a fruitful work in our meetings between the delegations, we saw our common determination. We agreed to take advantage of current opportunities and strengthen trade. I think we have set a good pace,” he stated.
Cuban President Diaz at Anıtkabir
Cuban President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez additionally visited Anıtkabir together with his delegation. Diaz-Canel and his entourage laid a wreath on the mausoleum and paid homage.
Afterwards, Bermudez and the accompanying delegation took a memento photograph on the Anıtkabir stairs and went to the National Pact Tower and signed the Anıtkabir Special Book.
Bermudez wrote the next statements within the pocket book:
“The Cuban delegation is visiting here to pay their heartfelt respect and respect to Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of the modern Turkish nation, whom Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro described as an inspiration for the Republic of Cuba. As the Cuban and Turkish peoples, we have common values that are the legacy of the founders of both nations.”
