On January 26, 2017, the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) signed the Memorandum of Cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Cuba. Within January 23 – January 26, 2017, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of SR, Lukáš Parízek, visited Havana, accompanied by the group of the most important Slovak investors in Cuba and General directors of EXIMBANKA SR and the Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency (SIEA). The aim of this visit was to support current Slovak projects, mainly in the area of energetics. 5 Slovak companies participated at the mission, accompanied by the SARIO agency. During several meetings, the State Secretary opened the topics of renovation of the energetic infrastructure in Cuba, renewable energy sources, stability of investment environment, visa and others. In the presence of the entrepreneurs, the State Secretary negotiated with the Vice minister for energetics and mining, and with the key state entrepreneurial groups Uniól Eléctrica and Energoimport. At the end of the official program of the business mission, the SARIO agency signed the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in mutual trade and investment promotion between Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Cuba (CCRC) and Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO). The signature of the Memorandum has followed up a previous cooperation of both institutions, particularly in organizing the business mission dedicated to packaging, waste and water treatment technologies in December 2016. The President of the CCRC, Orlando Hernández Guillén, stated in his speech, that he considers this Memorandum to be primarily a framework for the institutionalization of mutual relations and an establishing communication channel between SARIO and CCRC. The State Secretary of the MFA of SR, Lukáš Parízek, welcomed the more than two-year support of the Slovak entrepreneurs in Cuba by the SARIO agency, and during the dialogue with the President of the CCRC, he expressed a strong interest in cooperation in perspective areas and in supporting Slovak interests. The SARIO agency has already presented in Cuba the extensive group of potential Slovak investors. By signing the Memorandum, the time has come for the systematic gathering of their interests and the support of their promotion. The areas of mutual protection of investments, financing (insurance) of projects and technical cooperation, remain an important open question in bilateral cooperation between Slovakia and Cuba, that is why the SIEA agency participated at this mission. Apart from the business cooperation, the cooperation is increasing in the areas of education and healthcare; the prospects arise also in the field of tourism and culture. The SARIO agency co-organized the mission together with the Representative office of Slovakia in Cuba, which still remains the first contact point for SARIO, as well as for the Slovak entrepreneurs in Cuba.
