FIHAV 2017 Gets Going with over 70 Countries
Amid the damage endured by ExpoCuba –the fairgrounds that year after year hosts the International Havana Fair- caused by hurricane Irma, the 35th edition of FIHAV opened yesterday with over 3,400 exhibitors from some 70 countries.
The keynote speech was delivered by Rodrigo Malmierca, Cuba’s minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, who underscored the massive turnout as a token of the world’s trust in the Cuban market, despite bad weather conditions and the economic embargo imposed by the U.S.
Mr. Malmierca highlighted the attendance of Cuba’s top investing nations, such as Venezuela, Russia, China and Spain, as well as representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean.
The high-ranking Cuban official, who also chairs the event’s organizing committee, said the island nation has passed a good deal of foreign investment programs worth as many as $2 billion in the course of 2017.
The fair will be the meeting ground for 250 bilateral gatherings between companies from more than 30 countries and their Cuban counterparts, mostly during the sessions of the 2nd Investment Forum, the launch of new products and services, the unveiling ProCuba’s new website and the latest details on the Mariel Special Development Zone.
Businesspeople, official delegations from several countries, representatives from chambers of commerce, and new media organizations are attending the fair.
