Raúl meets with
Indian Vice President
PRESIDENT
Raúl Castro Ruz met October 30 with Mohammad Hamid
Ansari, Vice President of India and President of the
Rajya Sabha, or upper house of the Indian Parliament,
who is making an official visit to Cuba.
During the fraternal meeting, the two parties
agreed on the potential for developing bilateral
trade and economic cooperation in sectors such as
the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology,
renewable energy, education, health, sports and
cultural exchange. They also discussed current
regional and international issues.
Vice President Ansari expressed his respect and
admiration for the Cuban people and the achievements
of the Revolution. Also present were Jitin Prasada,
Minister of State for Human Resources; Deputy
Foreign Minister Dinkar Khullar; and Chinthapally
Rajasekhar, Indian Ambassador to Cuba.
Present on the Cuban side were National Assembly
President Esteban Lazo Hernández; First Vice
President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez; Rodrigo
Malmierca Díaz, Minister of Foreign Trade; and
Marcelino Medina González, acting Minister of
Foreign Affairs.
HAMAD ANSARI DESCRIBES BILATERAL RELATIONS AS
EXCELLENT
After placing a wreath at the José Martí Memorial
in Plaza de la Revolución, the Indian Vice President
described the state of bilateral relations as
excellent.
Accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio
Sierra, the Indian leader toured the exhibition
areas of the Havana complex which honors the hero of
Cuban independence and, in a conversation with the
press, said that he felt moved to be there.
He affirmed that José Martí was a great
intellectual and political leader, before moving on
to official talks with First Vice President Miguel
Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.
Indian Ambassador to Havana Chinthapally
Rajasekha signed together with Emilio García Borroto,
vice president of the Cuban Radio and Television
Institute (ICRT), an inter-institutional agreement
for program interchange, technical and professional
training and for the coproduction of audiovisual
materials.
The ambassador also announced the donation of one
million dollars to the National Sports, Physical
Education and Recreation Institute (INDER) for the
renovation of a Cuban field hockey pitch and the
purchase of accessories for this sport. •
