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• Caribbean
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• 08 / 20 / 2008

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Since 1993, Cuba has been participating in this fair as exhibitor and visitor. This year, some 25 Cuban executives and officials will take part of the event, which has facilitated the opening of the Turkish market to Cuban products such as cigars, rum, and roasted and ground coffee.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry announced that this year the island will try to expand the array of exports to other products like tropical fruit juices, medicines, biotechnological vaccines, and bio-fertilizers.

According to figures by the Turkish Statistics Institute, in 2007 the bilateral trade between Cuba and Turkey was valued at $33. 6 million, which tripled the sum reached in 2006.

Cuba is the number one tourist destination in the Caribbean for the Turkish, with 6,000 visitors coming from that country to the island every year.

Among the Cuban enterprises to be represented at the fair, which runs from August 22 thru 31, will be Habanos S.A. and Havana Club International – a Cuban rum-exporting company.

The Izmir International Fair is the oldest tradeshow in Turkey, and is considered the cradle of Turkey's fairs and expositions industry; it also notable for hosting a series of simultaneous festival activities.
    
(www.cubanews.ain.cu)