Brazzaville, March 18 (Prensa Latina) Congolese President Denis Sassou-N’Guesso today met with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero, with whom he discussed the historic ties of friendship between the two countries and future plans for strengthening cooperation.

During the dialogue, the parties reviewed milestones from more than 60 years of relations, which have been marked by the struggle for the emancipation of peoples, collaboration, and the training of professionals, always based on fraternity and mutual respect.

They also discussed a new approach to cooperation between the two countries, which would strengthen joint work in health matters but also extend to other areas.

In statements to the press, Marrero emphasized that both parties agreed to leverage the full potential of cooperation in areas such as technology, human resource development in Cuba, tourism, culture, science and innovation, and defense, among others.

The intention, he noted, is for economic and commercial cooperation to be on par with political ties.

The head of government commented that he had conveyed to President Sassou-N’Guesso the affection and gratitude of the Cuban people, as well as the satisfaction of more than six decades of uninterrupted relations and pride in the island’s contribution to the education of more than 3,000 young Congolese.

He described the visit as historic and exciting, as it represents a meeting between two sister countries, Marrero emphasized, delivering a message from Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to the Congolese president.

Sassou-N’Guesso, for his part, spoke about his early days in the struggle and his encounters with Cuban leaders Fidel and Raúl Castro, as well as recalling the role the two countries played in the negotiations for the withdrawal of South Africans from Angola, the independence of Namibia, and the irreparable blow to the apartheid regime.

The president thanked Cuba for its support in the independence struggles of African peoples and reaffirmed that Congo will always vote in favor of the Caribbean nation in international forums.

This Tuesday, Marrero also held an exchange with the president of the Congolese Senate, Pierre Ngolo, to whom he conveyed warm greetings from the president of the Cuban Parliament, Esteban Lazo, and emphasized the importance of continuing to strengthen ties in this area.

He also held a private meeting with his Congolese counterpart, Anatole Collinet Makosso, participated in extended talks with delegations from both countries, and paid tribute to former Congolese President Marien Ngouabi (1938-1977) at the mausoleum dedicated to him.

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Havana, March 17 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel welcomed American actor, director, and producer Kevin Costner, who is visiting the Caribbean nation to explore underwater archaeology, the Presidency of the Republic announced today.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you and a source of great satisfaction for your visit to Cuba. You are greatly admired by the Cuban people, who have closely followed your recent stay in our country,” the president said during the meeting at the Palace of the Revolution.

Costner expressed feeling very well in Cuba and that he had dreamed of this project for some time, according to the Presidency on the social network X.

The American actor referred to his special friendship with Cuban Alejandro Mirabal, an underwater archaeologist and prominent researcher. “I’ve studied the Caribbean a lot,” he noted.

He commented that he was impressed by the Museo del Castillo de la Real Fuerza, both for its exhibits and its architecture.

During the pleasant conversation, the head of state invited him to visit Santiago de Cuba, whose bay holds a significant underwater heritage.

Kevin Costner previously visited Cuba in April 2001, where he met with the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, with whom he held a lively conversation, according to the press at the time.

On that occasion, he traveled to Havana to present the film “13 Days,” about the October Crisis of 1962, in which he played the leading role of Kenneth O’Donnell, a collaborator of John F. Kennedy at the time.

In a statement to the Spanish newspaper El País in 2015, the artist expressed his joy at the rapprochement between Cuba and the United States.

“I’ve only been to Cuba once, but I’m seeing the new situation very well. In the world we live in, I’m always happy to hear news that shows us getting closer to each other,” he said.

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Basseterre, March 16 (Prensa Latina) The Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Terrance Drew, praised the continued assistance provided by Cuban medical cooperation to his country, where professionals from that sister nation are treated with dignity.

These Cuban personnel contribute to strengthening our healthcare system, Drew noted, adding that there are ties of equity and respect, and that they enjoy the same rights and privileges as their local colleagues.

“Since 2003, St. Kitts and Nevis has welcomed Cuban professionals who came not as strangers, but as family, helping us build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient nation,” the Prime Minister said.

Cuban health professionals have saved lives, he stated.

Regarding labor practices, he dismissed all US accusations of exploitation and asserted that Cuban professionals receive compensation according to the salary scale established by the government.

“We have never tolerated, nor will we tolerate, human trafficking practices on our shores or anywhere else,” Drew reaffirmed.

Cuban health workers in St. Kitts and Nevis receive comfortable housing at government expense and enjoy fair working conditions, including vacation time and standard work hours, Drew argued, as quoted by the Associated Times website.

He added that the professionals own their passports and have all types of permits to travel abroad.

Drew’s statements defending the presence of Cuban medical cooperation in his country come against the backdrop of threats from the United States government to sanction countries that admit Cuban health personnel into their care programs to improve the quality of life.

car/joe