Russia to support training of Cuban firefighters

Russia will provide up to 410.8 million rubles (about four million dollars) in assistance to the Russia-Cuba Regional Fire and Rescue Specialists Training Center, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced on Saturday.

Zakharova told Sputnik that the aid will be sent through the International Civil Protection Organization to facilitate the operation and development of the center.

The diplomat stated that for this purpose, Russia is acquiring specialized machinery and equipment as part of its commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to Havana.

The Regional Fire and Rescue Specialists Training Center was established on July 11, 2014, in compliance with agreements signed between Moscow and Havana to train rescuers and firefighters from Cuba and other Latin American and Caribbean countries.

The center has experienced instructors from Russia and Cuba, and has received firefighters from Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, and Venezuela.