CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

Cuba's Strong Links in the World.

By  Iván Herrera Hernández and Lianet Arias Sosa    
CUBA, January 26th, 2011.- Visits to Cuba by leaders from all over the world in 2010 confirmed the country's strong international relations. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez visited several times. In November, he and Cuban President Raúl Castro presided over an official 10th anniversary celebration of the integral cooperation agreement between their countries, and Raúl announced the decision to re-launch the agreement for 10 years more.

  The visit was part of the continued strengthening of friendship and cooperation between the two governments and peoples.

Previously, in August, Chávez met with the leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro, as well as the Cuban president.

Fidel and Chávez discussed a number of international matters, especially those referring to the serious threat of nuclear war.

Chávez later met with Raúl Castro to review the development of fraternal political and economic relations.

The Venezuelan president was accompanied by several of his cabinet ministers for the working visit.

In February, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited Havana, describing his stay as very important after holding meetings with Fidel Castro and Raúl Castro.

The Cuban president and Lula attended a ceremony for the signing of agreements and legal instruments for increased cooperation, and toured the port of Mariel. With the help of Brazilian investment, the port will become the island's largest.

Brazil is firmly striving to be Cuba's top investment and development partner, Lula reaffirmed during his visit.

Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes, paid an official three-day visit, the first one by a leader of his country in 50 years, and met with President Raúl Castro.

Accompanied by a delegation of 50 cabinet ministers and business people, Funes attended the signing of three agreements in the health, education and culture sectors.

During his stay, the Salvadoran president visited the Latin American School of Medicine, where some 10,000 students from more than 30 countries are studying.

In 2010, President Leonel Fernández of the Dominican Republic met with Raúl Castro to discuss bilateral relations and other topics of regional and international interest.

Prior to the meeting, the Dominican president gave a master lecture at the University of Havana.

Other international leaders who visited the Cuban president over the last year were prime ministers Stephenson King and Tillman Thomas of St. Lucia and Grenada, respectively; and presidents Seretse Khama Ian Khama and Bachar Al Assad, of Botswana and Syria, respectively.

Haitian President René Preval visited Cuba and described as excellent Cuban cooperation with his country, devastated by the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake.

Preval, who met with Cuban Vice President Esteban Lazo and other ministers, reviewed agreements for collaboration in the fields of agriculture, the sugar and fishing industries, education, and public health, among others.

There are currently over 1,200 Cuban doctors and health technician in Haiti helping fight diseases like cholera and other ailments. This aid increased after the devastating earthquake of January 2010.

Other distinguished visitors were the Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika; Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheik Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah; Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, and President Malam Bacai Sanha of Guinea-Bissau.

Two other guests were prime ministers Samuel Hinds and Carlos Gomes, of Guyana and Guinea-Bissau, respectively.

Cuba also was visited by South African President Jacob Zuma, President Anote Tong of Kiribati, President Marcus Stephen of Nauru, and President José Manuel Ramos-Horta of Timor Leste.

In addition, President Raúl Castro held a meeting with the former Spanish foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, and the archbishop of Havana, Cardinal Jaime Ortega.

The Spanish foreign minister was previously received by the Cuban president to discuss bilateral relations and international issues.

During his visit, Moratinos said it was time to end the European Union hostile position of non-cooperation with Cuba.

Raúl Castro also received Monsignor Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, who said he was happy to meet Cuban government and religious officials.

Other visitors to the island included Vice Marshal Ri Yong Ho, Chief of the Korean People's Army's General Staff; Russian Vice President Alexander Dimitrievich Zhukov; and the vice-president of the Russian State Duma, Ivan Melnikov. (Cubaminrex-PL)

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