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Gerry Adams Seeks Closer Irish Ties with Cuba

Visiting Irish republican leader Gerry Adams told Cuban leaders that he would like to see closer ties between the Caribbean nation and his country, state media here said Thursday.

Adams told Ana Maria Machado, the vice president of Cuba's legislature, that in Ireland there was plenty of solidarity with the Cuban people, the AIN news agency reported.

Adams also said that he was ready to continue supporting Cuba's communist revolution with concrete actions, AIN said.

The news agency said that Adams was heading a group of Sinn Fein politicians, but did not say when he arrived or for how long they would stay.

Sinn Fein was the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) paramilitary group, which disarmed in 2005.

Adams, 66, is a serving member of the Republic of Ireland's parliament. He earlier visited Cuba in 2001.

Machado thanked the Irish visitors for "the gestures of solidarity" that they have had with the island, especially against the US trade embargo, in place since 1962, AIN said.

The United States and Cuba restored diplomatic ties in July after a five-decade stand-off, and the two countries have reopened their embassies. US trade sanctions, however, remain in place.

Source: Agence France Presse


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