Havana, January 29 (RHC) -- Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro on Tuesday with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, discussing a series of international issues, according to UN sources.

The two met for about 55 minutes and exchanged ideas on issues including the conflicts in Syria, Central African Republic, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky in an official statement.

They also exchanged views on food security, nuclear proliferation, the Millennium Development Goals, sustainable development and climate change.

Ban also expressed his satisfaction with his stay in Cuba, praising the latest reforms undertaken by Cuba's economy and society.

On Tuesday, the UN chief visited Cuba's Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) in Havana, hailing the school as very advanced.

Ban Ki-moon said the international students enrolled at the school should feel "very fortunate and grateful" for the opportunity to study at the institute.

The UN secretary general said he has personally witnessed Cuban doctors at work in trouble spots and communities devastated by natural disasters, adding that Cubans were always the first to arrive at the scene and the last to leave.

He also acknowledged Cuba's medical contributions in Haiti and African countries, including its participation in Operation Miracle, a program that helps thousands around the world recover their eyesight, and its help in opening medical schools in other countries.

The UN Secretary General was in Cuba as a special guest to the 2nd Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. After participating in the first day of sessions of the forum, he departed from Havana early Wednesday morning.