Francois Hollande arrived in Havana on Sunday, marking the first official visit by a French President to Cuba amidst a historic diplomatic thaw between the US and Havana, Efe news agency reported.
Hollande’s journey to Cuba is part of a Caribbean tour which began in the French Antilles, consisting of St. Martin, St. Barthelemy, Martinique and Guadeloupe, and will conclude in Haiti on May 12.
At Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport on Sunday, Hollande was received by Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra.
“I come to Cuba with great emotion because it is the first time that a president of the French Republic has come to Cuba,” Hollande told the media in a statement.
“It is also symbolic to be the first Western head of state to take part in the overture to Cuba and to accompany the country in its transition,” he said, adding: “There are historic ties, deep ties, between the people of France and the people of Cuba.”
He then stressed the particular significance of the timing in regard to the restored ties between Havana and Washington.