President Raul Castro met on Tuesday afternoon with Syrian Minister of Information Dr. Mohsen Bilal who is on a working visit to Cuba.

The two leaders spoke on diverse international and bilateral topics and on the excellent relations between the governments and peoples of Cuba and Syria. Accompanying the minister was Syrian Ambassador to Cuba Mohamad Chaker Khayat.

Also present at the meeting for Cuba was Fernando Remirez de Estenoz, member of the Communist Party Central Committee Secretariat and Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque.

Granma 02-07-2008

Tuesday, July 01, 2008 - 10:45 AM

HAVANA, SANA –Information Minister Mohsen Bilal has reviewed with Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Ramon Perez Roque the distinguished relations between Syria and Cuba and the situation in the Middle East , Latin America and the Caribbean.

Talks during the meeting Monday concentrated on the necessity of enhancing media cooperation regarding issues of the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean and the common challenges that face the two countries.

Roque stressed the deep-rooted Syrian-Cuban friendship relations between the two countries.

Talks also dealt with the conference of Information Ministers of Non-Alignment countries scheduled to be held in Venezuela and the necessity of coordination between the two countries in facing the western media campaign.

A meeting with the pressmen was held at Granma headquarters, the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party, during which exchanging information expertise between Syria and Cuba was discussed.