By Russian Affairs analyst Stephen Dalziel. Wednesday, 13
December, 2000, 13:36 GMT. BBC News Online
Cuba was the Soviet Union's greatest ally in the Americas region, but
relations have been virtually frozen since Moscow started to base its foreign
policy on pragmatism, rather than ideology.
Now Mr Putin is looking to start a new relationship with Havana.
After the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, declared his devotion to
Marxism-Leninism in 1961, for 30 years Cuba was the Soviet Union's main trading
partner and ideological ally in Latin America.
But even by the time the leader of the Soviet Communist Party, Mikhail
Gorbachev, visited Cuba in 1989, the economic reforms which Mr Gorbachev had
introduced had strained relations between Moscow and Havana.
The new emphasis on trade on a solid economic basis - rather than the barter
system of Cuban sugar for Soviet oil, which suited Havana, but did little to
help the Soviet economy - saw a rapid decline in goodwill.
Even before his arrival, Mr Putin has made it clear that he wishes to
resurrect the link.
In an interview with Cuban television, he described Cuba as, "an old
and faithful partner".
Partner in Latin America
What is clear, though, is that any future relationship will be based first
and foremost on a sound economic footing.
The Co-Chairman of the Russo-Cuban Commission for Economic Co-operation,
Sergei Shoigu, arrived in Havana 24 hours ahead of his president, to set the
scene for the visit. It is in Russia's interests to have a close partner in
Latin America. Trade opportunities will, nevertheless, be limited.
The one thing the Cubans know for sure, is that they will no longer be able
to pay for Russian oil with sugar. | 