Vice President Hamid Ansari meets Fidel Castro as he wraps up Cuba visit

HAVANA: Vice President Hamid Ansari's meeting with revolutionary hero Fidel Castro was the high point of the first ever bilateral visit by any Indian VVIP to Cuba, during which the two countries also inked an agreement on cooperation in broadcasting.

Ansari had an 65-minute long meeting with Castro here yesterday, reflecting the warmth in the relationship between India and Cuba, two of the founding members of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM).

The meeting was the first time in several months that the 87-year-old former President of Cuba met a foreign dignitary. The last meeting Castro had was with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in July. Castro has been in poor health and demitted office in July 2006.

Ansari also had a 75-minute meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro.

Meanwhile, an MoU on cooperation on broadcasting between Prasar Bharti and Cuban Radio and Television Institute was signed yesterday by India's Ambassador to Cuba Chinthapalli Rajasekhar and Vice President of the institute Emillio Moises Garcia Borroto.

After concluding a "landmark" tour of Peru during which four agreements were signed, Ansari arrived in Cuba yesterday.

Soon after his arrival, Ansari inaugurated a Festival of India that began with "Nrityaroopa", a fusion of six classical dances, greeted with applause from thousands of Cubans.

He also held delegation level talks with Cuban leaders. The Vice President also visited the Biotechnology Centre here, where he hailed the "pioneering work" done by it and underlined "immense possibilities" for cooperation between the two countries in the area.

Earlier in the day, Ansari visited the Revolution Plaza to place a wreath at the Jose Marti Memorial.

"The Memorial gives an excellent account of Jose Marti's struggle for freedom. It symbolises the success of the Cuban revolution and its ideals of justice and equality," he wrote in the visitor's book.