Raul Castro Wound up Working Visit to Angola

Cuban President Raul Castro wound up his working visit to Angola. Before his departure, the Cuban head of state exchanged with representatives of over 2, 000 Cuban workers currently offering their services in that African nation. Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos gave a farewell ceremony to the visiting Cuban head of state in front of the Presidential Palace in the capital Luada, in which both presidents greeted delegations of both countries, Granma newspaper reported. During his stay in Luanda, Raul Castro held official talks with his Angolan counterpart Jose Eduardo Dos Santos. The two heads of state addressed the implementation of current bilateral agreements. In recent statement to the press, Angola´s Health Minister Jose Viera Van Dunen said Cuba´s cooperation is crucial for his country to reach its objectives in the field of health. Since 2006, the number of Cuban collaborators in Angola has increased to over 2, 000. More than 1,000 of them work in the health sector, another 500 are professors. Angola kicked off a national literacy campaign this year with Cuban assistance, while over 200 Angolan youths are studying in Cuban education centers; 140 of those youths are taking medical courses. Cuban specialists have been teaching at five medical faculties in Angola since last year. The African country expects to graduate 500 new doctors by the year 2014.