法国总统奥朗德星期日晚间抵达古巴，成为第一位访问这个共产党国家的法国国家元首。
奥朗德在哈瓦那何塞·马蒂国际机场受到古巴副外长罗杰里奥·西埃拉和其他古巴高级官员的迎接。他说：“女士们，先生们，我今晚来到古巴，心情非常激动。具有象征意义的是，我是西方国家第一位参加古巴对世界开放的总统。”
奥朗德计划星期一会见古巴主席劳尔·卡斯特罗。卡斯特罗刚从意大利返回古巴，他出访期间在梵蒂冈拜会了教宗方济各。
自卡斯特罗和美国总统奥巴马去年12月宣布将寻求结束两国之间50多年来的紧张关系以来，奥朗德是第一位访问古巴的西方国家领导人。
美国对古巴实行贸易禁运，而巴黎和哈瓦那则保持着长期的经济关系，双边贸易额将近四亿美元。
古巴是奥朗德此次加勒比五国之行的最后一站。
French President Francois Hollande arrived in Cuba late Sunday night, becoming the first French head of state to visit the communist nation.
"Ladies and gentleman, I arrive here in Cuba this evening with a lot of excitement as this is the first time the president of the Republic of France is visiting Cuba. It's also symbolic to be the first western president to participate in the opening of Cuba to the world."
Mr. Hollande plans to meet with Cuban President Raul Castro Monday upon the Cuban leader's return from Italy, which included a visit with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
Mr. Hollande is the first Western leader to visit Cuba since Mr. 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.
But, unlike the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba, Paris and Havana have long-established financial ties, with two-way trade worth nearly $400 million.
Mr. Hollande's stopover in Cuba is the last stop on a five-nation tour of the Caribbean.
