This week, Cuban president Raúl Castro is paying a visit to France, marking the first time in just over a decade that a Cuban leader has visited the European country since his brother Fidel in 1995. Castro's visit follows French president François Hollande's trip to Cuba in May of last year.
Castro is on his first official trip to the European Union since he took over leadership from his brother Fidel in 2006. The visit is considered to be an important step in rebuilding Cuba's ties with the West, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) explains.
Diplomatic relations between France and Cuba have entered a new era, Jean-Pierre Bel, President Hollande's personal envoy, declared on Sunday, as Prensa Latina reports. He said that the relationship between the two countries "is the best that has existed, an excellent level of relation that is expressed in a reciprocated confidence, in deep respect."
"The visit of President Raul Castro to Paris will consecrate all the steps of advancement that we have achieved together," Bel added, reinforcing that France has always been against the European Union's blockade against Cuba.
In turn, Havana hopes the visit will allow for the expansion and diversification of "its relations with France in all possible areas: politics, economics, trade, finance, investment, culture and cooperation," Rogelio Sierra, the Cuban deputy foreign minister, said.
Raul Castro arrived on Saturday and was received at the Arc de Triomphe. The official agenda of his visit begins today, when he will meet with President Hollande as well as the French prime minister, Manuel Valls, over dinner at the Élysée Palace Monday night, according to TeleSUR.
France has been active in normalizing diplomatic interactions with Cuba since relations were restored last year between Cuba and the United States. During Hollande's visit to Cuba last year it was announced that France would forgive Cuba $8.5 billion of overdue interest payments to the Paris Club, in exchange for Cuba's pledge to pay back $2.6 billion of the original debt within 18 months - a deal that allowed Cuba new access international credit, as TeleSUR explains.
Human rights issues remain a sensitive aspect of the developing bilateral relationship, the AFP notes, as international authorities accuse the Castros of repressing their political opponents. Hollande was criticized last year by rights advocacy groups after visiting Cuba last year. France also received Iranian President Hassan Rouhani last week, amid demonstrations, as the two nations negotiated a series of trade agreements under discussion since nuclear sanctions on Iran were lifted.
