The request comes as problems mount with oil supplies from Venezuela

HAVANA TIMES – Cuban President Raul Castro has asked Russia to once begin supplying Cuba with oil. Before the Soviet Union’s disintegration in 1991, it was Cuba’s main supplier under favorable trade terms.

The Russian RT news network reports today that General/President Raul Castro asked Russian President Vladimir Putin, to start oil supplies to the island.

According to the news item, Castro has asked the Russian president to explore the possibility of supplying Cuba regularly with oil and other products.

The terms Castro requested for the purchases was not mentioned in the article.

The Cuban government, affected oil production problems suffered by Venezuela, has been forced to seek other international suppliers to help meet domestic demand, said a Kremlin source quoted by Interfax.

In late August, Cuba received the visit of Foreign Minister of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, who highlighted the desire of his country to strengthen bilateral relations and discussed specific issues of economic cooperation in areas such as agriculture, petroleum, petrochemicals, mining, medicine and engineering.