Army General Raúl Castro Ruz met Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on May 6, whom he thanked for the invitation to participate in the celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory over fascism in WWII, to be held on Saturday in this capital.
The Cuban President noted that he could not miss the celebration due to the great friendship that has always united the island and Russia, “a friendship that still exists because there is a mutual admiration between our peoples.” He recalled that at the time of the victory of the Great Patriotic War in 1945, he was aged 14 and he listened to the news about the showdown that changed the destiny of humanity.
The Russian Prime Minister said he was grateful for the presence of loyal friends such as Raúl and recalled his visits to Cuba and the meetings he had held both with him and the Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz. He considered this May 9 a special day for his country, as “this is the 70th anniversary of our victory, on our own soil.”
It is a day of celebration, he said, but we can also discuss issues that interest us mutually. Medvedev told the Cuban leader that during the parade to be held on Saturday at Red Square, “there will be many interesting things, airplanes, helicopters, armored car techniques, some on show for the first time and that you want to see.”
Following these statements to the press, Raúl and Medvedev met in private and later with the rest of their respective delegations.
According to a press release from the Government of Russia distributed to journalists, during the meeting they discussed trade between the two countries, as well as the prospects for joint projects in sectors such as energy, transport, health, biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry.
(Leticia Martínez, Granma)