Havana, September 16 (RHC)-- Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel arrived in Mexico City early Thursday morning to take part in the ceremony marking the 211th anniversary of national independence.

Through his Twitter account, the president announced his arrival in Mexico at the invitation of his counterpart Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

On the day of #GritoDeDolores, #Mexico's bank holidays, it is an honour to arrive in the beloved Aztec land, to which #Cuba owes, loves and respects so much. Today we will be accompanying the festivities for its independence,' wrote the Cuban head of state.

According to the planned agenda, Díaz-Canel will also take part in the 6th Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on Saturday,September 18th.

López Obrador recently confirmed that the island's leader will give a speech and highlighted the friendly relations that have long united the two countries.

We are nobody's lackeys and Mexico is an independent, free and sovereign country with a clear foreign policy in which it reaffirms what Benito Juárez said, that between individuals as between nations, respect for the rights of others is peace,' he added at a press conference.

On the other hand, civil society organisations, political parties, the Cuban solidarity movement, Cuban residents in this country, institutions and personalities welcome the Cuban leader and express their rej

Díaz-Canel was received by Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard and our country's ambassador Pedro Núñez Mosquera.

ection of provocative statements such as those made by former Mexican president Felipe Calderón and leaders of the right-wing National Action Party.