SIMFEROPOL, August 12. /TASS/. Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance of the Republic of Crimea Irina Kiviko, who is also the chairperson of the regional organization of the Russian Society of Friendship with Cuba, proposed on Friday to invite a delegation of Cuban representatives to the peninsula in order to strengthen bilateral relations.

"The deputy premier noted that she would turn to the administration of the republic with a request to invite to Crimea representatives of Cuba as well as officials of the Cuban Embassy in Russia with the aim of developing and strengthening interregional relations," the regional organization of the Russian Society of Friendship with Cuba said in a statement.

According to the statement, one of the first lifetime busts of Fidel Castro was recently discovered at the vocational training college in Crimea’s Dzhankoi. It was made to be presented to the leader of the Cuban Revolution, but remained in Crimea due to unknown reasons.

"As a result of the search work of our organization’s activists we have discovered a bust of Fidel Castro, which was made by sculptor Inna Smerchinskaya. It was made in 1961 and was handed over to Cuban students, who studied in Dzhankoi at that time as part of an exchange program, to be later presented to the leader of the Cuban Revolution," the statement added.

Upon a decision of the Soviet Union’s leadership, some 300 Cuban nationals studied agriculture and cattle breeding in Crimea’s Dzhankoi between 1961 and 1963. According to various sources, Fidel Castro and Ernesto "Che" Guevara visited Crimea in the early 1960s.

Crimean reunification with Russia

After Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich was ousted in a coup in February 2014, mass protests erupted in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. On March 11, 2014, Crimea’s Supreme Council and Sevastopol City Council adopted a declaration of independence.

On March 15, 2014, the Crimean authorities held a referendum on reuniting with Russia. Most voters supported the idea (96.77% in Crimea and 95.6% in the city of Sevastopol), with turnout reaching 80%. On March 18, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the treaty on Crimea’s reunification with Russia. Ukraine, the United States and the European Union refused to recognize Crimea’s independence and its decision to reunite with Russia.