IZHEVSK. Feb 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Cuba wants to continue military-technical cooperation with Russia, Cuban Ambassador to Russia Gerardo Penalver Portal said.
"We do not have much capital to modernize our weapons and military hardware," Penalver Portal told reporters during his working visit to Udmurtia on Thursday.
Cuba is continuing its traditional defense relations with Russia, and large quantities of its military hardware are manufactured in Russia, he said.
"Cuba has already spent about 60 years under the U.S. blockade. This means that for Cuba, military training and the protection of the achievements of the revolution are the top priority. [...] Our people are the main defenders of our revolution. And, to this end, we need to have military hardware and weapons. This is why we are continuing this cooperation with Russia," he said.
It was reported yesterday that the two countries had signed an agreement on a Russian loan for procurements as part of military-technical cooperation. Russian Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak said last November that Russia was planning to extend a 38-million-euro loan to Cuba.