French President Francois Hollande began the first visit by a French head of state to Cuba by noting it was "special" in light of Washington's opening to the island.
French President Francois Hollande (C) talks to Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra (R) at Havana's Jose Marti airport May 10. (Credit: REUTERS)
Hollande, who arrived on May 10 night, was scheduled to meet Cuban President Raul Castro, deliver a speech and participate in an economic forum in Cuba as part of his swing through the Caribbean.
Hollande will also meet Cuba's Roman Catholic cardinal, Jaime Ortega, and the Cuban chapter of the Alliance Francaise, which promotes French culture abroad.
He could also visit retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro, 88, whose 1959 revolution is generally well regarded in France, especially within Hollande's Socialist Party.
The French president is traveling with executives from French companies including Air France (AIRF.PA), hotelier Accor (ACCP.PA) and distiller Pernod Ricard (PERP.PA). Each of those three already operates in Cuba but they want to expand their business here with an eye to the potential end of the US economic embargo of Cuba.
Castro and US President Barack Obama announced in December they would restore diplomatic ties and seek to normalise overall relations after more than 50 years of confrontation, and the two leaders followed that with a meeting at a regional summit in Panama in April.
(Source: REUTERS)