Cork East Fine Gael TD and Minister of State for Justice, David Stanton, accompanied President Michael D Higgins, as the Irish Government representative, on his state visit to Cuba.

Minister Stanton and President Michael D. Higgins attended a number of key engagements, including a meeting with President Raúl Castro regarding bilateral relations between Ireland and Cuba and regional cooperation in Europe and Latin America.

Other events which were attended by Minister Stanton and President Michael D. Higgins were the bi-annual gathering of University Academics from Ireland, South America, Spain and North America, organised by the University of Havana, Havana International Book Fair in which Ireland participated for the first time this year and a historic tour of the Old town in Havana by Historian Dr Eusebio Leal.

The state visit to Cuba was the final part of President Higgins’ trip to Latin America which also included visits to Columbia and Peru and will inform the new government strategy to develop Ireland’s profile in this region due to be published shortly.