NEW ORLEANS, March 11 (UPI) -- Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco met with Cuban President Fidel Castro just before the end of her three-day trade mission to the island nation.
Blanco was invited to a private lunch Thursday with the Cuban leader as she and her delegation were visiting an historic church, the New Orleans Times-Picayune said.
Upon her return late Thursday, the governor said accepting the invitation was in the state's best interest after signing $15 million in trade agreements.
"We didn't want to jeopardize that by perhaps insulting the president of the country," she said.
Blanco said the meeting covered a wide range of economic and trade issues -- everything but politics. She was joined in the meeting by several Louisiana state officials.
"He's a little bit frail," the governor said. "He had an accident, fell back in November. He broke his arm and leg, so he had a little trouble moving.
"But he was very, very talkative."
