Raul Castro, Cuba's defense minister and interim leader, said his brother Fidel was recovering satisfactorily from an operation in late July to cure gastric bleeding, the official newspaper Granma said Tuesday.

Granma said Raul Castro had made the announcement on Sunday, during a meeting with Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal.

Bilal told Raul that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had wished Fidel,80, a speedy recovery, and restated the solidarity of Syria's government and people with Cuba, as it faced an upsurge of threats from the United States.

Raul said that all Cubans supported their government in its bid to strengthen Cuba's military response capability.

He also reiterated Cuba's support for Syria as it faced the aggression and hostility of neighboring Israel, and for Syria's bid to recover the Golan Heights, a mountainous plateau overlooking Damascus that has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

The 75-year-old minister confirmed that Cuba was ready for a successful 14th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which would be held on Sept. 11-16 in Havana.

Source: Xinhua