“We agreed on the capacity of both countries to carry out economic and commercial cooperation projects in several areas,” the Foreign Minister wrote on X social media at the end of a courtesy meeting held on Thursday with Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim.
In this context, he expressed his willingness to strengthen relations, particularly in the field of biotechnology and through the development of joint projects.
These cooperation programmes would include the transfer of technology and the marketing of Cuban products in Malaysia and through triangular operations involving member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Rodríguez also thanked Malaysia for its support of the Cuban people’s just demand for an end to the genocidal economic, commercial and financial blockade that the United States has maintained against the island for more than six decades.
The meeting also served to highlight the 50 years of relations between the two nations since the establishment of diplomatic relations on 6 February 1975, as highlighted by the Malaysian leader.
Dato Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim also discussed the need to strengthen cooperation in the fields of health, biotechnology and technical vocational training, given the progress made by Cuba in these areas, according to a release from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On the same day, Mr Rodríguez was received in an official audience by His Majesty Sharafuddin Idris Shah, Sultan of Selangor, with whom he recalled the historical links between Malaysia and Cuba, including visits to this Southeast Asian country of late Cuban historical leader Fidel Castro. The first time the Commander-in-Chief visited Malaysia was in 2001, when he met with King Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and received the Supreme Order of the National Crown.
During this visit, a trade, economic and scientific-technical exchange agreement was signed and the First Intergovernmental Commission was established.
Fidel Castro returned to Malaysia in 2003, this time to attend the Non-Aligned Movement Summit.
The Cuban Foreign Minister’s visit to Malaysia is the first leg of a tour that began on the 12th and will also take him to Singapore, Vietnam and Laos, where he will hold official talks with senior officials of these countries.
mh/oda/mpm