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Cuban president says plans to revive practice of teaching Russian in Cuba

Miguel Diaz-Canel stressed that relations between the two countries are based on mutual respect, friendship and solidarity

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, November 2. /TASS/. Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Saturday he is looking at reviving the practice of teaching Russian in Cuba, with the use of new technologies.

"I remember when I was a university student there was a radio program teaching Russia. IT was broadcast every day at about seven in the evening. I think we will revive such things now but at a new level, with the use of new technologies. The high level of economic cooperation and political dialogue requires a big number of those who can speak Russia," he said in an interview with the Vesti v Subbotu weekly news roundup on the Rossiya-1 television channel.

The Cuban president stressed that relations between the two countries are based on mutual respect, friendship and solidarity, "quite untypical qualities for the present-day world order," as he put it.

According to Miguel Diaz-Canel, Cuba appreciates Russia’s position defending multi-polarity when "the US administration is apparently seeking to impose its hegemony on the world."

The Cuban leader arrived on a working visit to Russia on October 27. The first two days of his stay in Russia he spent in the second largest city of St. Petersburg. On October 29, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Miguel Diaz-Canel was elected the republic’s president on October 10 to who succeed 86-year-old Raul Castro. The election was held in line with the new constitution, adopted during a referendum in February. Under the new constitution, the president is the head of state, the commander-in-chief and heads the National Defense Council.

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