Castro visits France as Cuba opens up for business

PARIS  — Cuban President Raul Castro holds a series of meetings with top French officials in the second day of a state visit to France aimed at boosting business ties between the two countries.

Castro’s schedule in Paris Tuesday includes meetings with the UNESCO chief Irina Bokova, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. He is to visit later the Musee de l’Homme, a museum focusing on human evolution.

The Cuban delegation has also participated in a business forum with French companies as the Caribbean island’s economy opens up.

On Monday French President Francois Hollande called on the U.S. to lift its economic embargo.