Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega discussed climate change and biofuel when they met on Saturday.

The two had a "brotherly" meeting for four hours, according to a statement released by the Cuban government.

Ortega, the fourth head of state to visit Castro in two weeks, was very satisfied with the meeting with Castro and thought it was a new step in the deepening bilateral relations between Nicaragua and Cuba, said the statement.

Castro and Ortega talked about the joint eye surgery program called "Miracle," and a successful Cuban literacy program called "Yes, I can," which Nicaragua is planning to adopt.

Ortega arrived Friday night in Havana as part of a tour that has taken him to Venezuela, Algeria, Libya and Iran.

Castro has not been seen in public since undergoing an intestinal operation last July. He has temporarily handed the reins of government to his brother and Defense Minister Raul Castro.

The 80-year-old leader has met with several state leaders recently, adding credibility to official reports that he has almost fully recovered.

Source: Xinhua