However, Yevgeny Nadorshin, former Advisor to Russia’s Minister for Economic Development, told Sputnik that this offer may in fact present Prague with a lucrative opportunity.
"There’s nothing funny or extraordinary about this method of debt repayment. Cuba has a deficit of currency, so why not pay with what it has in abundance?" he said, pointing out that in 1980s vodka was actively used as a form of currency within the Comecon.
He also remarked that such a massive shipment of rum is very unlikely to trigger an outbreak of alcoholism in the Czech Republic.
"I can hardly imagine Czech alehouses starting to serve rum instead of beer, and streets becoming filled with alcoholics, so this rum could be safely used for domestic consumption. As far as I know, Havana will have to supply a little over 23 million bottles of rum to repay its debt to Prague. A considerable quantity, to be sure, but I believe that the people of Czech Republic will be able to handle this booze bonanza," Nadorshin said.
