Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, President of Cuba’s Councils of State and Ministers, yesterday morning September 10, received the honorable Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez, President of the Republic of Panama.

During the friendly meeting, the two Presidents discussed prospects for expanding ties between the two countries, in particular in cooperative efforts and trade. They additionally addressed issues of international interest, among them the integration process underway in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The distinguished guest was accompanied by Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Vice President and Foreign Minister; Meliton Arrocha Ruiz, minister of Commerce and Industry; and Francisco Carlo Escobar Pedreschi, Panama’s ambassador in Cuba.

Participating on the Cuban side were Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla; Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz, minister of Foreign Trade and Investment; as well as Antonio Miguel Pardo Sánchez, Cuban ambassador in Panama.