CUBA – RWANDA: Cuban vice president thanks Rwanda for hospitality after arrival

Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa arrived in Rwanda on Monday, the last stop of an official tour of several African countries, where he thanked the welcoming and hospitality offered by local authorities.

President Paul Kagame meets with Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa and his visiting delegation at Urugwiro Village on Monday, November 20. Photo by Village Urugwiro

“Rwanda received us with hospitality and respect early Monday. We appreciate the warm reception offered by Vincent Biruta, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, upon our arrival in this African country,” Valdés Mesa wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

During the meeting, the Cuban vice president thanked Biruta and President Paul Kagame for participating in the G77+China Summit held in Havana in September and for Kagame’s speech in that forum.

The Cuban official conveyed a message and greetings from President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Rebel Army Commander José Ramón Machado Ventura, with whom Kagame maintained a cordial relationship during his visit to Cuba.

President Paul Kagame met Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa and his visiting delegation at Urugwiro Village on Monday, November 20, and engaged him in discussions aimed at bolstering the existing bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Their discussions also revolved around the long-term relations between Rwanda and Cuba within the sectors of education and health. This meeting was part of the Cuban delegation’s official tour across various African countries, commencing on November 14 with Ghana as their initial stop.

In addition to discussions with President Kagame, Mesa also held talks with Rwanda’s Senate President François Xavier Kalinda on November 20.

The Cuban delegation includes First Deputy Public Health Minister Tania Margarita Cruz and Deputy Director General of Bilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), Ángel Villa.

Biruta, in turn, stressed that this is the first high-level Cuban delegation to visit Kigali since the bilateral relations were established almost 50 years ago.

Valdés Mesa and his companion expect to visit the Genocide Memorial and meet with Senate authorities and Kagame.