Iranian President Arrives in Cuba

HAVANA TIMES, Jan 11 — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives in Cuba today on an official visit in which he will meet with President Raul Castro. The trip is aimed at promoting bilateral relations, reported the island’s media.

During his brief 24-hour visit, the Persian leader will give a lecture at the main assembly hall of the University of Havana and will have official talks with Cuban authorities.

According to economist Arturo Lopez Levy, trade between the two countries has decreased in recent years, with the nearly $50 million in bilateral commerce in 2008 falling by just over half in 2009.

Ahmadinejad arrives on the island on the third leg of a Latin American tour that has taken him to Venezuela and Nicaragua, and will include Ecuador.

These visits are taking place in the midst of tensions in his country as a result of criticisms and international sanctions against it for its nuclear development program.