ST. PETERSBURG, June 3. /TASS/. Moscow and Havana are coordinating their steps to help Cuba overcome the crisis it is facing, Alexander Shchetinin, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Department of Latin America, told TASS on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"We are engaged in the closest collegial cooperation with our Cuban friends. Undoubtedly, we coordinate the steps that need to be taken in the difficult situation they are currently dealing with," he said.

"Cuba certainly remains our partner and friend, and we continue to provide political support to the country," the diplomat added.

The situation in Cuba deteriorated sharply in late January after the US administration announced measures aimed at completely blocking fuel supplies to the island. In March, the national power grid failed three times. Cuba is facing acute shortages of gasoline and diesel fuel. A number of foreign companies have suspended flights to the country due to a lack of aviation kerosene at Cuban airports.

In late March, Russia’s Anatoly Kolodkin tanker arrived at the Cuban port of Matanzas, delivering a humanitarian shipment of 100,000 metric tons of oil, which helped improve the energy situation on the island. However, Cuba is now once again reporting disruptions in energy supplies and ongoing fuel shortages.

TASS is the general information partner of SPIEF.