Cuba’s new President Miguel Diaz-Canel is due to pay an official visit to Russia on November 1, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council (upper house) Committee for Economic Politics Sergei Kalashnikov said on Wednesday.

At its meeting on Wednesday, the Russian Federation Council adopted a statement on the need to end the US economic and trade blockade of Cuba. "It’s noteworthy that this statement of the Federation Council was passed ahead of the first visit to Russia by the President of the State Council and the President of the Council of Ministers of the Cuban Republic Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez, which is due to be held on November 1 this year," Kalashnikov said.

This will become the first visit of the Cuban leader to a foreign country outside the Caribbean Basin.

Miguel Diaz-Canel replaced Raul Castro as President of Cuba’s Council of State and President of the Republic of Cuba in April 2018.