Japanese Prime Minister wraps up visit to Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba, Sep 23 (acn) Japan´s Premier Shinzo Abe wrapped up his two-day official visit to Cuba, which he described as a new chapter in the bilateral relations.

Cuba´s Vice-President Salvador Valdes and Foreign deputy minister Rogelio Sierra saw off Abe at Havana´s Jose Marti International Airport.
During his visit, Abe held official talks with Cuban President Raul Castro, along with presided over a ceremony of donation of Japanese medical equipment to Cuban hospitals
The visiting PM met as well with Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro, and discussed the need to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and to preserve world peace.
At a press conference Abe said Japan expects to invest in different sectors of Cuban economy as health, agriculture and education. Prior to his visit, the two governments had signed an agreement to restructure the Cuban debt to Japan.
The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1929, and Japan opened an embassy in 1957. Cuba marked recently the 400th anniversary of the first visit of a Japanese to Cuba