Mbeki visits Cuba

The South African President, Thabo Mbeki, begins an official visit to Cuba today -- the first there by a South African head of state.

Mr Mbeki is due to hold talks with President Fidel Castro and deliver a speech at Havana university.

He's brought a strong team of ministers with him, and their talks in Cuba will focus on improving cooperation and strengthening ties in a variety of fields, notably the economy, health and education.

Cuba was one of the main backers of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and many South Africans are now studying there. The BBC Havana correspondent says the visit is also part of the Cuban government's continuous search for allies in the international political arena.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service