French President meets Cuban leaders in Havana

(Baonghean.vn) - French President Francois Hollande met with Cuban leaders Fidel and Raul Castro on May 12 during a historic visit to Havana.

This is the first visit by a French leader since Cuba's independence (Photo: AFP)

Mr Hollande also called for an end to the decades-long US trade embargo on Cuba.

He said the embargo had severely affected the country's development. Mr. Hollande is the first French president to visit Cuba since 1898, and the first Western leader to visit since the 1980s. President Hollande and Mr. Fidel Castro talked for an hour. He then met Raul Castro, Mr. Fidel's brother and the current President of Cuba.

Speaking earlier on Monday at the University of Havana, Mr Hollande said France would do its utmost to ensure that "the sanctions that have had a devastating impact on the situation in Cuba are lifted".

He referred to the US trade embargo that remains in effect, although relations between the US and Cuba have improved in recent months.

The normalization of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States was announced in December.

Mr. Hollande also gave a speech at Havana University (Photo: AP)

Mr Hollande has announced plans to double the number of scholarships to help Cuban students continue their studies, as part of efforts to strengthen scientific and educational cooperation between the two countries.

The BBC's Will Grant in Havana says that unlike some other European countries, France has long maintained relatively good relations with Cuba and wants to benefit from the new economic opening.

Before arriving, Mr Hollande told reporters that France was trying to "be the first among European and Western countries to be able to tell the Cuban people that we will be at their side if they decide to do what is necessary to develop their country".

After the US and Cuba announced they would move towards re-establishing diplomatic relations, a number of senior US and European politicians visited Cuba, including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Federica Mogherini and top diplomats from Japan and Russia.

However, Mr Hollande is the first Western leader to visit Cuba since Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzales in 1986.

Pham Tien Hoan

According to BBC