VIDEO North Korea, Cuba hold 1st summit in 32 years
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel wave back to Pyongyang citizens during a car parade, Sunday. Captured from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba's Twitter account (@CubaMINREX)
By Jung Da-min
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has received Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel with “magnificent” welcoming events, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday, with Kim repeatedly stressing “the strategic and comradely friendship with Cuba.”
Diaz-Canel's visit to North Korea marked the first by a Cuban president since former President Fidel Castro's 1986 visit, though Diaz-Canel has traveled to North Korea before, meeting Kim Jong-un as Cuban vice president back in 2015.
According to the KCNA, Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju greeted Diaz-Canel and his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza at Pyongyang International Airport on Sunday.
Following a 21-gun salute from the Korean People's Army, Kim and Diaz-Canel reviewed the honor guards of the KPA. The two leaders also took part in a car parade through the streets of Pyongyang to arrive at the Paekhwawon State Guest House, where the Cuban delegation would stay.
During the talks at the Paekhwawon State Guest House in Sunday afternoon, Kim and Diaz-Canel demonstrated “the invincibility of the traditional fellowship, trust, friendship and solidarity of the peoples of the two countries,” while discussing ways to boost exchanges in various fields including economy, culture, public health, science and technology, KCNA reported.
They also exchanged views on the “common concern” of the two countries on international politics, while reaching “a consensus of views on all issues.”
North Korea is committed to boosting friendly relations with Cuba as socialist allies, while the two countries are in conflicts with the U.S.
North Korea's party mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun on Sunday published a series of articles on Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel's visit to Pyongyang, with this photo showing the third page of the paper featuring Diaz-Canel's photo on right. Yonhap
On Sunday during the North Korea-Cuba summit, a joint performance by major art troupes of North Korea ―the Samjiyon Orchestra, the Moranbong Electronic Ensemble and the Wangjaesan Art Torupe― was held and songs of messages calling socialist solidarity with “brother-like peoples of Cuba” were performed, including “July 26 March” and “Only along the Road of Socialism” to commemorate the Cuban Revolution in 1953.
After the performance, Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju also hosted a grand banquet at the Morkan House for Cuban president and his wife.
Before visiting North Korea, Diaz-Canel met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. He will be heading to China, Vietnam and Laos, leaving Pyongyang on Tuesday.