Raul Castro meeting with Russian leaders

From Radio Free Europe

Cuban President Raul Castro was in Moscow for a meeting his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Castro arrived in the Russian capital after touring China and Vietnam, communist-led Cuba’s traditional allies alongside Moscow.

A Kremlin statement said the talks with Castro were expected to focus on boosting trade and broadening economic cooperation.

Trade links between Russia and Cuba have declined dramatically since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and the effective end of Moscow’s economic support to Havana.

The Russian daily “Kommersant” has reported that Havana is interested in winning military agreements that could help the island nation modernize its outdated Soviet-era tanks, submarines and other technology.

It is Castro’s second trip to Moscow since his 2006 assumption of power from older brother, Fidel.