CUBA, April 30, 2009. Cuban President Raul Castro held bilateral encounters with participants at the Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, which concludes today in this capital city.

The Cuban head of state met with the President of the UN General Assembly Miguel D´ Escoto, with the President of the Group of 77 plus China, Elssamani Elwasila; as well as with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Iran and Venezuela.

Raul Castro and Miguel D´ Escoto exchanged views on preparations for the High-Level UN Conference on the world economic and financial crisis and its impact on development; the event is scheduled to take place June 1-3, in New York. They also addressed issues of international interest as well as aspects of the current ministerial meeting.

Meanwhile, Raul Castro and Elssamani Elwasila, President of the Group of 77 plus China and Foreign Minister of Sudan, focused on the work of the Joint Coordination Committee which links the Group of 77 and the Non-Aligned.

The upcoming 15th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, scheduled to take place July 11-16 in the Egyptian locality of Sharm al Sheikh was at the center of the exchange between the Cuban President and Egypt´s Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Talks with the foreign ministers of Iran and Venezuela were in tune with the excellent relations between Cuba and those countries and the good pace of Cuba´s cooperation with the two nations. (Cubaminrex- ACN)