Nicaragua and Cuba officially restored their diplomatic relations on Tuesday.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega accepted the credentials from new Cuban Ambassador Luis Hernandez Ojeda, marking the formal restoration of the ties between the two countries.

Speaking at a ceremony, Ortega said that Nicaragua and Cuba have dispatched ambassadors to each other's countries and that they would strengthen their brotherly friendship and solidarity.

Pledging support for Cuba in future international conferences, the Nicaraguan president asked the international community to respect the human rights of the Cuban people, and asked the United States to end its economic embargoes against the Caribbean country.

Relations between Cuba and Nicaragua were downgraded to the charge d'affaires level in the mid-1990s. Ortega announced to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba after he took office as president of the Central American country in January.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2007)