SANTIAGO (Chile), (Sputnik) – Russia is ready to actively participate in the modernization of Cuba’s defense industry enterprises, but financial issues still hamper cooperation between the two states, the deputy head of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) said.
"The only factor restraining the development of cooperation is the uncertainty in the sources of funding. The search for them is ongoing," Anatoly Punchuk told RIA Novosti in an interview on the sidelines of the 19th FIDAE International Air & Space Fair in Chile.
Russia and Cuba have enjoyed close cooperation since the days of the Soviet Union. In recent years, Moscow has moved to step up ties with Havana.
In December 2013, Moscow wrote off most of Havana’s Soviet-era debt, estimated at about $30 billion, and denounced the US trade embargo against Cuba.
