Azernews.Az

The Cuban ambassador in Baku has said Azerbaijan's extensive experience in the development of hydrocarbons could be useful for his country.

"Cuba, which has recently started exploratory drilling in the Gulf of Mexico near its shores, is interested in Azerbaijan's experience in this field," Omar Medina Quintero told Trend news agency.

Immense reserves of high quality oil have been discovered on the national shelf of Cuba in the Gulf of Mexico. The country announced its plans to begin exploratory drilling in the Gulf of Mexico near its coast last summer. Spanish Repsol and Norwegian Statoil, Malaysian Petronas and Venezuelan PDVSA are currently operating there.

The ambassador said that Cuba produces about 3 million tons of oil a year for domestic needs.

"However, we know that there are large reserves," he said. "We are now attracting foreign companies to these operations. As is known, Azerbaijan has experience in deepwater drilling. This experience could be useful to us."

Quintero said the two countries should also closely cooperate in training staff for the oil sector.

"Many Cubans received good education in Azerbaijan in 1970-1980," he said. "They are now highly qualified experts in this field. It is necessary to continue these traditions."

The ambassador regarded the relations between Azerbaijan and Cuba as good.

"Everything is changing fast today," he said. "There is always a risk that there is little time for contacts. I think that we should strive for these contacts to be raised to the highest level. Most attention should be paid to the things uniting us most of all."

He said there are many areas for cooperation, namely tourism, sports, the economy, education, etc.

"We should not hurry," he said. "We should gradually develop them to achieve significant results."

Quintero said his primary task is to make an effort to develop the ties between the two countries and to preserve the traditions that have always existed between the two peoples.

"My government has set forth to me the task to develop friendly relations among countries," he said. "I am ready to work in this direction."

Quintero said that the political relations between the two countries have always been at a good level. The governments now have the task to raise the economic relations to the same level.

"Azerbaijan is actively developing its relations with Latin America," he said. "I know that this is not at the expense of the relations with Cuba. Our countries have great potential for cooperation. The sides are studying mutual interests."

He said there is always an opportunity to cooperate in the medical field by inviting Azerbaijani experts to Cuba to get acquainted with the country's medical achievements.

The diplomat also invited companies to participate in the development of the tourism industry in Cuba. "Tourism in Cuba is an open platform for investments," he said.

Cuba's legislation allows construction of hotels by foreign companies.

"We will always consider Azerbaijan a reliable partner," the ambassador said.

Quintero has become the second Cuban ambassador to Azerbaijan, succeeding Marcelo Caballero Torres, whose diplomatic mission ended in late summer.

Quintero was born in 1950. He has been working as ambassador since 1975. He served at the Cuban embassies in Poland, Serbia and Montenegro.

Before his appointment to Baku, he worked at the Cuban Foreign Ministry. Earlier, he headed the diplomatic mission in Belarus.

He speaks English, Russian, Serbian, Croatian, and Spanish.