Dominican President Visits Cuba

Havana, Jul 23. – Dominican President Leonel Fernandez begins an official visit to Cuba on Thursday, and expects to meet with President Raul Castro to strengthen existing ties between the two Caribbean countries.

Fernandez will also give a magisterial lecture at University of Havana.

A law graduate from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, the Dominican statesman, 56, is in his third presidential mandate, serving from 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2008.

Fernandez has been chair of the Dominican Liberation Party since 2002.

This is the fourth visit by a Latin American head of state to Havana this year. Haitian President Rene Preval, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez previously visited.(Prensa Latina)