Qatar emir to meet Castro during Cuba visit

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will hold talks with Raul Castro during a visit to the communist island.

Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. EPA

HAVANA // Qatar’s emir will meet Cuban President Raúl Castro on a visit to the communist island starting on Sunday, state-run media said.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will hold “official talks” with Castro and “carry out other activities,” the Granma newspaper said on Saturday, offering few concrete details.

Cuba and Qatar established diplomatic ties in 1989 and maintain relations in a number of fields, notably health care and tourism.

A hospital run by Cuban doctors and other medical professionals has been operating in Qatar since 2012.

Doha has shown an interest in expanding cooperation in health care with Cuba and is exploring investment opportunities on the island, media said.

It was unclear how long the Qatari emir would be in Cuba.

* Agence France-Presse