Havana - With the presentation of the Cuban export offer and final awards to the best exhibitors, concludes today the 36th International Havana Fair (Fihav 2018).

The largest trade fair of the country, opened since last October 29, gathered three thousand exhibitors from 60 countries in an area of some 24 thousand square meters, revealed sources of the organizing committee.

Among its most outstanding activities were the Third Investment Forum, in which official of Foreign Trade, Deborah Rivas, businesspeople showed interest in the agribusiness sector, construction and tourism, mainly.

As planners of the event recognized, during the forum over 200 interviews and contacts among businesspeople and contacts between exhibitors from some 30 nations, among which stood out representatives of Canada, India, Germany, Spain and Mexico.

The portfolio of Investment Opportunities for 2018-2019 presented at the Fair, groups 525 projects of different sectors for a total estimated in over 11 billion dollars.

Among the novelties, the portfolio updates the policy for the industrial sector, includes projects of high environmental impact and makes territorial distinctions.

On this occasion stand out almost 200 investment projects in tourism and over 100 in oil prospection and food sectors.

On another hand, there were explanations of the ample opportunities in the western Special Development Zone of Mariel and the incentives for foreign investors wanting to have a piece in this industrial park.

As Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca, said, one of the fundamental objectives of the venue is to expand and diversify 'links with the world to increase exports of goods and services and foreign investment in the country'.

The number of attendants, he revealed, puts the seal on entrepreneurial interest in doing business with Cuba despite the harshening of U.S. blockade on the island.

Malmierca also affirmed that Fihav consolidates as a space of regional concertation with the realization, in the context of the fair, of the business forum Russia-Latin America.

According to the minister, Cuba celebrated this new edition with an increase in relation and number of businesses inside as outside the ZEDM and an advance in investments of several projects with foreign capital in the island.

An example of this is that during the last year, 40 new deals were approved for a total of 1.5 billion dollars, he said.