Russia is a pillar in the development of Cuban transport, says Minister

Cuban Transport Minister Adel Yzquierdo said that Russia is now a pillar in the development of that sector in his country, according to plans prepared until 2030.

Yzquierdo told Prensa Latina that "with the Russians we are doing very well, as it should be", during a reception at the Russian embassy in Havana, on the occasion of the official delivery of the first seven TGM8KM locomotives.

"These seven locomotives are the practical beginning of our collaboration," the Cuban minister said, referring to the machines, which arrived in Cuba as part of a contract between the Russian company Sinara and the Cuban company Procuradora General del Transporte.

He explained that they will mainly work in the sugar harvest and in medium distances, while those of large routes are also negotiated with Russia, as well as passenger cars, along with the repair of the railway lines.

To reach this point, Russians and Cubans worked very seriously, with much responsibility for more than a year, said the minister.

Regarding the expected supply of Russian cars, Yzquierdo said that represents a very important social project for Cuba, especially for the most intricate areas of the country, which have less development in communication.

On the role of rail in the development plans of Cuba until 2030, he called it "basic and most important", given that this sector will double the loads and increase the number of passengers, a figure that today is very depressed, he argued.

The Minister reported that in compliance with other contracts, Cuba has already received two thousand Russian Kamaz trucks, soon more than 300 Lada cars will arrive of the Vesta model, and by 2018 the parties will undertake more projects that are in the materialization stage.