Havana, Paris sign deal on tourism, transport, trade
Paris and Havana have signed several business deals during the Cuban president's official state visit to France.
Cuban President Raul Castro and his French counterpart Francois Hollande met on Monday and agreed to expand bilateral ties in the fields of tourism, transport and trade.
This is the Cuban president’s first official trip to the European Union since taking over from his elder brother Fidel in 2006.
The visit is seen as a key step toward resuming ties between his island nation and Europe.
Havana hopes the visit will allow Cuba to "widen and diversify its relations with France in all possible areas - politics, economics, trade, finance, investment, culture and cooperation," said Rogelio Sierra, Cuba's deputy foreign minister.
Hollande visited Cuba last May, the first by a Western head of state in more than half a century.
The Caribbean island restored relations last year with the United States, after more than half a century of enmity.
Hollande called for an end to US sanctions on Cuba during the historic visit to Paris by president Castro.
"[US] President [Barack] Obama... must, and he's said it himself, go all the way and bring an end to this vestige of the Cold War," Hollande said after meeting with the 84-year-old Cuban leader.
Although Washington has yet to lift its trade embargo on Cuba - that dates back to 1962 - US and European businesses are jockeying for position as the communist island's economy gradually opens up.
Trade delegations have been flocking to Cuba, hoping to cash in on its highly trained workforce and natural assets such as its sun-drenched Caribbean beaches, a draw for tourists.
Cuba, meanwhile, needs to tap new sources of income as its main ally and financial backer, Venezuela, is mired in economic and political crisis.
Some of France's largest companies are already investing in Cuba, including telecoms group Alcatel-Lucent, and energy firms Total and Alstom.
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