• Submitted by: admin
• Havana
• Business and Economy
• Science and Technology
• 01 / 15 / 2007

The new distillery, costing 66 million dollars and belonging to Havana Club International S.A., was developed as a joint venture between Cuba and the French firm, the second largest distributor and trader of beverages and spirits in the world.

According to Patrick Ricard, the president of the French company, his company is expecting to meet the increasing demand for the well-known brand of Cuban rum in more than 120 countries. He said the islands famous label is among the 15 strategic brands that his firm distributes.

The distillerys latest technology "in keeping with Cuban and international requirements for environmental and security concerns" is one of the key characteristics of the factory, stated Andre Leymat, general director by the French section of Havana Club International. He praised the promptness and quality of the work, which "symbolized the synthesis of the Cuban rum tradition, based on aging and modernity."

Alejandro Roca, minister of the Cuban food industry, recalled the origins of Havana Club International as going back to when the Cuban rum maker and the French company signed agreements in 1993.

Roca highlighted the mutual respect and spirit of cooperation which has exited since then, to cooperate with Cuba, demonstrated by Pernod Ricards position against an attempt by the United States to appropriate the Havana Club patent.

In terms of other state investments in the area, Carlos Lage also visited the Conrado Benitez Electrical Cables Production Plant (ELEKA in Spanish) and urged that more attention be paid to technological advances produced around the world in order to reduce production costs.

At a pasta making plant Vita Nuova, Lage inspected the new production line which will add 40 tons to the production capacity of the plant daily. With the implementation of this investment, the country will be able to offer nearly 60, 000 tons of pasta and noodles in 2007, especially staples and food in schools and hospitals.

The leader was also interested on the functioning of the national warehouse of Cuban and imported pharmaceuticals, located in the former Orlando Cuellar Glass Factory.

Lage recognized the implementation of a new reliable data base which helps to control the entry and exit of most pharmaceuticals in a period of 90 days, and to protect the national production and imports.

Source: Juventud Rebelde