TEHRAN: In a meeting with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Monday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei emphasized the necessity of forming a coalition of countries that oppose the US and Western bullying.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that such a coalition, which should focus on economic cooperation, could have a significant impact on important global issues, such as the Palestinian cause.
The Supreme Leader pointed out that the Palestinian issue is not limited to the recent events in Gaza, but rather a 75-year-long history of oppression and massacre of the Palestinian people.
Ayatollah Khamenei also recalled his meeting with the late Fidel Castro 22 years ago, and praised his honesty and revolutionary spirit.
The Supreme Leader added that the Cuban Revolution and Mr. Castro’s personality have been appealing to the Iranian revolutionary people even before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The Cuban president, on his part, expressed his agreement with the Supreme Leader’s views and concerns.
He said that the relations between Iran and Cuba have been developing well since the Islamic Revolution, and that he is determined to deepen the ties between the two countries in various fields, especially in trade and economy.
He stressed that Tehran and Havana can complement each other in different areas, especially in confronting the US and its allies’ interventions and sanctions.
The Cuban president also condemned the dire situation in Gaza and said that the ongoing atrocities in the Gaza Strip are an unacceptable genocide.
He criticized the international organizations for ignoring the slaughter of tens of thousands of people in Gaza, two thirds of whom he said are women and children.
Earlier today, the Cuban president met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and signed seven cooperation documents with him.
He also had a meeting with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
The visit of a Cuban president to Tehran takes place 22 years after Fidel Castro, the then president of the country, visited Tehran.
President Raisi visited Havana earlier this year at the invitation of his Cuban counterpart.
