Cuba's Raul Castro to visit France on Feb. 1

Cuba's Raul Castro to visit France on Feb. 1
PARIS

Cuban President Raul Castro next month will make the first visit to
France by a Cuban head of state since his brother in 1995 as he tries to
carve out a larger role for the Communist-run nation since improving
ties with the United States.

French President Francois Hollande in May became the first Western
president to visit Cuba in more than 50 years and has been positioning
his country to capitalize on the thaw in relations.

France was Cuba's main creditor and last month as part of a deal between
Cuba and the 15 rich creditor nations of the Paris Club it agreed to
annul $4 billion in debt.

Confirming the visit on Feb. 1, Hollande's office said "it marked a new
stage in the strengthening of relations between the two countries."

Around 60 French companies operate in Cuba including construction group
Bouygues, drinks group Pernod Ricard and hotels specialist Accor.

(Reporting By John Irish Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)

Source: Cuba's Raul Castro to visit France on Feb. 1 | Reuters -
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-europe-idUSKCN0UW1SP