"Dear Mr. Diaz-Canel, please accept my sincere congratulations on your election to the post of the first secretary of the central committee of the Cuban Communist Party," Putin's message, released by the Kremlin, read.
The Russian leader noted that the delegates' decision was a confirmation Diaz-Canel's political weight and also a recognition of his merits to the motherland.
"We highly appreciate our strategic partnership with Cuba. I expect that we will ensure further development of the constructive bilateral dialogue and multifaceted mutually beneficial cooperation for the good of our friendly peoples thought joint effort," Putin said.
On Monday, the communist party delegates selected Diaz-Canel as the first secretary of the central committee, replacing Raul Castro who announced his retirement from the powerful position last week.