With 75 countries confirmed to attend, the 34th edition of the Havana International Trade Fair (FIHAV 2016) is set to be the biggest to date, a reflection of the confidence of the island’s trading partners in the Cuban market and their rejection of the U.S. blockade, stated Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz, minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, during a press conference held on October 19.
Scheduled to take place October 31-November 4, the Fair will not only contribute to promoting Cuban exports and attracting foreign capital, but also to strengthening the policy set out by the island’s government to diversify international economic relations to the maximum, Malmierca Díaz highlighted.
He also noted that taking place among alongside the Fair will be the First Investment Forum, where the third edition of the country’s Portfolio of Investment Opportunities will be presented; which according to the sector minister features a broader range of projects and foreign investors to which initiatives are directed.
Within this range of opportunities, Malmierca Díaz highlighted priority sectors for foreign investment such as tourism, renewable energy, the development of production chains in the agricultural sphere, and the Mariel Special Development Zone. In the country’s attempts to move beyond the island’s traditional exports of rum and cigars, he also emphasized medical services and pharmaceutical products.
Orlando Hernández Guillén, president of the island’s Chamber of Commerce, noted that the Cuban pavilion will measure 5,000 square meters and feature 125 exhibitors, representing 325 enterprises.
(Granma)