Croatian President Stjepan Mesić arrived on a two-day official visit to Cuba. In his opening remarks at a Cuban-Croatian economic forum in Havana on Thursday, President Mesić stated that he has come to renew economic relations between the two countries.
President Mesić said that the US blockade of Cuba was harming both Cuba and the United States, expressing hope that the situation would be overcome.
The Croatian-Cuban economic forum, organised by the two countries's Chambers of Commerce at the hotel National, is expected to help open the Cuban market to Croatian companies.
Earlier in the day, Mesic laid a wreath at the monument to the Cuban national hero, politician, poet and independence fighter, Jose Marti, toured the old, colonial-era part of the city and visited a cigar factory.