The Russian Communist Party leader, Gennady Zyuganov, is visiting Cuba, where he's had talks with President Fidel Castro in Havana.

It's the first such visit to Cuba since the Soviet collapse and loss of Soviet subsidies brought economic crisis to the island.

The two are reported to have discussed ways tostrengthen ties between their two parties, but the BBC correspondent in Havana says that in practice, there's now a gulf between them.