Above: Russia President Vladimir Putin and Cuba’s Fidel Castro

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin made an official visit to Cuba this weekend.

The visit, part of a wider Latin American tour, included a meeting with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and current Cuban leader Raul Castro.

In what was described as a “fraternal” meeting with Fidel, the two sides discussed “the growing economic and trade ties” between the two nations, according to a Cuban government statement.

Putin was joined in the meeting with Fidel by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Cuba’s Ambassador to Cuba, Mikhail Kamynin, among others.

The meeting with Raul Castro discussed the two countries “willingness to deepen ties in the economic, scientific-technical, cultural, sports and educational spheres,” Cuba said.

The two sides subsequently signed what Cuba called 10 “instruments of relevance” covering cooperation between Cuba and Russia through 2020.