An historic thawing of ties between Cuba and the United States has raised the question of how far the Communist island state is prepared to go in opening up its economy to the forces of the market and integration with the international community.
If and when Cuba does embark on a path of economic, and perhaps also a degree of political transformation, it could well enjoy the advantages of the late-comer, drawing lessons both positive and negative from eastern Europe over the last quarter of a century.
It can assess what worked and what proved much more difficult, emulating the successes and avoiding the pitfalls.
Read ‘What lessons Cuba can draw from eastern Europe’ in full at the FT’s beyondbrics