President Diaz-Canel To Visit France, Russia, China, Vietnam, Laos and North Korea

The Government of the Republic of Cuba reported that H.E. Miguel Diaz-Canel, President of the Republic of Cuba, will depart Jose Marti International Airport (HAV) on 31 October 2018 to Paris, France and then on 1 November 2018 in Moscow, Russian Federation, and then travel to Beijing (6-8), People’s Republic of China; Hanoi (8-11), Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic; and Pyongyang, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

According to a senior-level official of one of the governments whose representatives will meet with President Diaz-Canel, “… he is coming to ask us to help him not do what Cuba needs to do; he wants us to defend Cuba against the changes that the United States wants Cuba to make- and, I might add, we and others want Cuba to make. Everyone can’t continue to loan Cuba money to make purchases and loan them money in solidarity when everyone knows that the loans are unlikely to be repaid or we will be required to write them down or write them off. Cuba needs to grow-up and make changes so that it can be a better importer, exporter and partner.”