Cuban President ending his long international tour

Miguel Diaz Canel has visited Russia, North Korea, China, Vietnam and Laos.

The new president of Cuba, Miguel Diaz Canel, led a governmental delegation of the highest level in an international tour that starting with Russia has included the People's Republic of Korea, China, Vietnam and finally Laos.

The contacts and meetings held during this long trip have served to reaffirm the alliances and good relations that Cuba has with all these countries since the 1960s.

In the cases of Russia and China, it must be stressed that both nations are important economic partners of Cuba, while Vietnam (the world's largest rice exporter) is an essential supplier not only of this vital grain, the basis of Cubans' diet, but also an important supplier of other foods to the Caribbean country.

Beyond the fundamental economic-commercial aspects that unite these countries it is important to remember that both Russia and China are international powers and permanent members of the UN Security Council, and their support to the Government of Havana and its opposition to the economic bloque (financial embargo) imposed by the US Government against the Antillean island are extremely important in an increasingly tense and conflictive international context.

It must be remembered that the Administration of Donald Trump maintains a renewed aggressive attitude towards Cuba, which includes new sanctions, at the same time that the Latin American region is experiencing a moment of rightwing governments that hinders the insertion of Cuba within natural environment.

Immersed in a program of changes and internal transformations, burdened by a deficit economy that has not shown signs of growth and in the midst of an internal political renewal, the Cuban President's trip seems to be due to strengthen its international alliances in an internal and external context full of challenges for Cuba.