Cuban president visits Russian car factory

 HAVANA, Cuba, May 8 (ACN) As part of his official visit to Russia, Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the Moskvich automobile factory to assess the implementation of a recent agreement to supply a fleet of taxis to the Caribbean island.

According to the Presidency, it was revealed during the visit that the first phase of the project includes sending 50 cars to Cuba: 25 Moskvich 3 and 25 Moskvich 3e (electric) models.

Diaz-Canel toured the facility alongside Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, verified the quality of the vehicles that will operate in his country.

During the visit, Sobyanin donated 10 Moskvich 6 cars to Cuba for social services in Havana.

The Cuban head of state thanked the mayor, as well as the factory’s executives and workers, stating that this brand is well-known in his country for its high quality and durability. "In Cuba," he said, "many of these cars are still running thanks to the ingenuity of Cuban mechanics."

Díaz-Canel arrived in Russia on Sunday via St. Petersburg, where he spent two days working before traveling to Moscow, the capital.

As the main event of the official visit, the Cuban delegation will participate in the May 9 parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.

The delegation also includes Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla; Emilio Lozada García, member of the PCC Central Committee and head of its International Relations Department; and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga.