Putin congratulates Diaz-Canel on election as Cuban president

MOSCOW, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message of congratulations to Miguel Diaz-Canel on his election as Cuban president, the Kremlin said on Friday.

Putin said he assigned high priority to strengthening Russia's strategic partnership with Cuba and hoped that the upcoming visit of Diaz-Canel to Russia will further expand ties across a number of areas.

Diaz-Canel was elected on Thursday to serve in the newly-created post of Cuban president at an extraordinary legislative session of the National Assembly of People's Power, Cuba's single-chamber parliament.