奧朗德敦促美國結束對古巴的貿易禁運

French President Francois Hollande urged the United States on Monday to end its five -decade long trade embargo on Cuba, while pledging his country's continued support as the communist nation reforms its economy.

Mr. Hollande arrived in Havana Monday, becoming the first Western leader to visit Cuba since President Raul Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama announced last

December that they would seek to end more than five decades of Cold War-related bitterness.

Speaking at the University of Havana, the French president said Paris will do what it can to see that "the measures that have damaged Cuba's development" can be finally be repealed. Mr. Hollande, who is also the first French head of state to visit Cuba,

was accompanied by a large delegation of French business leaders who are eager to expand the two nation's current $400 million trade relationship.

Mr. Hollande signed a series of bilateral trade and educational agreements with Cuban officials. He also met separately with Mr. Castro and his brother, ailing

revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who the French president described as "a man who made history."法國總統奧朗德星期一敦促美國結束對古巴長達50年的貿易禁運，同時保證法國將繼續支持共產黨國家古巴實行經濟改革。

奧朗德星期一抵達哈瓦那。自古巴主席勞爾·卡斯特羅和美國總統奧巴馬去年宣佈將尋求結束兩國之間的緊張狀態以來，奧朗德是第一位訪問古巴的西方國家領導人。

奧朗德在哈瓦那大學發表演講時說，巴黎將盡力爭取“那些妨害古巴發展的措施”最終得以取消。

奧朗德是首位訪問古巴的法國國家元首。一個龐大的法國企業界領袖代表團隨同奧朗德訪問古巴，他們熱切希望擴展法國與古巴的貿易關係。目前法古雙邊貿易額爲四億美元。

奧朗德與古巴官員簽署了一系列雙邊貿易和教育協議。此外，奧朗德還分別會見了勞爾·卡斯特羅和他患病的哥哥菲德爾·卡斯特羅。奧朗德說，菲德爾·卡斯特羅是“一位創造歷史的人”。