Visiting Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage on Tuesday called for strengthening bilateral relations with Japan on various fronts, ranging from tourism, sports and culture to business.
Lage, considered one of the most likely successors to Cuban President Fidel Castro, made the request during talks with Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori at his official residence Tuesday morning.
He said the four chartered flights in August between Japan and Cuba, the first of their kind, were a big success and said Cuba looks forward to additional tourism from Japan, a Foreign Ministry official said. Between 1,300 and 1,400 Japanese tourists flew from Osaka to Havana via Vancouver, British Columbia, in August on Japan Airlines chartered flights. The two governments are considering allowing more flights, the official said.