Visit of Raul Castro to Russia

Cuban President Raul Castro will pay a state visit to Russia at the end of January. President Dmitry Medvedev extended the invitation to Mr. Castro when he visited Cuba on his recent Latin America tour. Russian and Cuban deputy foreign ministers met Wednesday to discuss "preparations for the upcoming official visit to Russia of...R Castro at the end of January," the ministry said in a statement without giving a date for the visit.

Ties between Russia and Cuba have been strengthened recently with the countries recently holding a join naval exercise in the Caribbean. For many years, Cuba received extensive Russian military and economic aid, but the help ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Mary BARNCASTLE

PRAVDA.Ru