Cuban Foreign Minister Roberto Robaina Gonzalez starts a working visit to Madrid at the Spanish invitation on Sunday to discuss a boost of the bilateral cooperation, primarily that political.
When in Madrid, the minister will meet Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and his counterpart Abel Matutes y Juan. The sides will focus on the bilateral trade and economic relations. Last year the Spanish goods exports to Cuba amounted to 69.5 billion pesetas (about 500 million dollars), while the Cuban imports reached only 18.08 billion pesetas (about 130 million dollars).
The sides may discuss an official visit of Spanish King Juan Carlos I to Cuba. The Cuban authorities stressed their wish for the visit more than once.
Last Friday the Spanish government approved the nomination of Eduardo Junco, a 53-years-old diplomat, as a new ambassador to Havana. The nomination followed telephone negotiations of Jose Maria Aznar and Fidel Castro Ruz. In the words of the Spanish foreign minister, the Spanish-Cuban relations are normalized.