On Tuesday, the Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel met with the Italian President Sergio Mattarella at the Quirinale Palace in Rome.
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"It's a pleasure to meet you in person," said the Cuban leader to Mattarella as soon as they saw each other at the Quirinale, where he was received with a guard of honor.
The Italian President assured him that it was "an honor" to receive him in Rome and expressed his desire to "highlight the friendship between our countries and peoples."
"I had a fruitful meeting with the Italian president Sergio Mattarella. We highlight our common interest in continuing to strengthen high-level political dialogue and developing investment and economic and trade ties," Diaz-Canel said.
Previously, Diaz-Canel met with Pope Francis, becoming the third Cuban leader to visit the Vatican since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, following Fidel Castro and his brother Raúl, who did so in 1996 and 2015, respectively.
During the 40-minute private audience, the Cuban leader and Pope Francis discussed issues related to the situation on the island and the contribution offered by the Church.
Afterwards, Diaz-Canel met with a group of Italian businessmen in Rome, where he reaffirmed his willingness to work together to strengthen relations in mutually beneficial sectors.
"We reiterate our willingness to strengthen economic, trade, investment, and cooperation relations between both nations," he tweeted.
The Cuban President's agenda will continue this afternoon with a visit to the headquarters of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).