DUBLIN, Ireland. – The President of Ireland, Michael Higgins, received today his Cuban counterpart Miguel Diaz-Canel at the presidential residence, where after the protocol acts of welcome they dialogued in a frank atmosphere.

Over lunch, the Irish President toasted the deep bonds of friendship and solidarity uniting the two countries and advocated for strengthening those ties.

The peoples of Ireland and Cuba share a deep pride in their national identity, a great passion for freedom, and having lived under the shadow of a powerful neighbor, Higgins said, who recalled the two nations had to fight for their independence.

The Irish President reaffirmed his country’s respect for international law by rejecting the blockade and unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against the island.

Irish President Recognizes Cuban Achievements in Medicine

In the context of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel’s visit to Ireland, the President of that country, Michael Higgins, highlighted the help provided by Cuban doctors to other peoples of the world.

This is not only humanitarian action, but a powerful form of internationalism, Higgins said, who congratulated the Cuban people on their willingness to provide medical assistance in times of crisis.

For his part, Diaz-Canel thanked the attentions given by his host and for the frank sustained exchange, and emphasized the independence principles that unite the two countries since the beginning of the war against Spanish colonialism.

The Cuban president’s visit to Ireland marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Havana and Dublin, and follows a similar one Higgins made to Cuba in 2017.

In the Irish afternoon, the Cuban delegation headed by President Diaz-Canel visited former Kilmainham Prison, which opened in 1796 and has been the abode of many of the characters involved in the struggles for Irish independence for more than 100 years.