Cuba and Russia are strategic partners with predictable and long-term relations, Deputy Chairman of the Cuban Council of Ministers Ricardo Cabrisas said on Saturday.

"Today we can say that our relations are characterized by the predictable and long-term nature, which does not depend on the international situation," Cabrisas said at the festivities held in the Cuban capital to mark 50 years since the re-establishment of Cuban-Russian diplomatic relations.

Cold War allies, Russia and Cuba have recently moved to restore their ties which declined after the breakup of the U.S.S.R.

"Cuba and Russia are strategic partners, which have common viewpoints on many international issues," Cabrisas said.

Moscow earlier said that Russian-Cuban relations could serve as the starting point to advance Russia's interests in the entire Latin American region.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Cuba in February to discuss the development of bilateral economic ties.

On the eve of the visit, Foreign Ministry's spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said "the current trade, which totals $260 million, does not reflect the bilateral trade potential," and Moscow was hoping to diversify its economic and investment ties with Cuba.

Joint projects in electric power industry, transportation, pharmaceutics and high-tech industry are among the key areas in the future economic cooperation between the two countries, Nesterenko said.

HAVANA, May 8 (RIA Novosti)