Wednesday, July 15, 2015

German foreign minister to visit Cuba

German foreign minister to visit Cuba
By AFP on July 15, 2015

Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit Cuba for
two days from Thursday, Berlin said, following the historic thaw between
the communist island-nation and the United States.

Steinmeier will be the first foreign minister of reunified Germany to
visit Havana. During the Cold War, the Caribbean nation only had
contacts with the former communist East Germany, and no West German
foreign minister ever visited.

Germany's top envoy was looking forward to the "extraordinary" trip,
which had been twice delayed, his spokesman said. Steinmeier is set to
meet his counterpart Bruno Rodriguez, other ministers and the head of
the Catholic Church in Cuba, Cardinal Jaime Ortega.

"We want to help shape the very careful and very cautious opening we are
seeing in Cuba by intensifying our bilateral relations with Cuba and
expanding our partnership politically, economically and culturally,"
said the spokesman, Martin Schaefer.

US President Barack Obama on July 1 announced the restoration of
diplomatic ties with Cuba, describing the rapprochement after half a
century of enmity between the Cold War foes as a "historic step forward".

Source: German foreign minister to visit Cuba | The Guardian Nigeria -
http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/07/german-foreign-minister-to-visit-cuba/

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