Havanna: Fidel Castro announced on Tuesday that he will not return to the presidency in a letter published by the official Communist Party newspaper, Granma.
"I neither will aspire to nor will I accept, the position of president of the Council of state and commander in chief," he wrote in the letter.
In December, Castro indicated that he could possibly step down in favour of a younger generation.
Castro handed over power temporarily to his brother, Raul, in July 2006 when he underwent intestinal surgery.
The 81-year-old has ruled Cuba since leading a communist revolution in 1959.
The National Assembly is scheduled to meet on 24 February to elect his successor.
What do you think were the defining moments during his tenure as Cuba's leader? How would his resignation affect the functioning of the administration?
