The Cuban government wishes to intensify relationship with ASEAN and each ASEAN Member State , said Minister of Cuban Foreign Affairs Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla.

The Cuban minister made the statement at a meeting with ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh in Jakarta , Indonesia , last week.

At the event, Rodriguez Parrilla recalled the long-standing diplomatic relations between Cuba and nations in Southeast Asia, including at international forums such as the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and Group 77.

For his part, the ASEAN Chief encouraged Cuba, as the first step, to soon accredit an ambassador to ASEAN to further promote bilateral cooperation between the two sides in the areas of mutual interest, particularly the fields which Cuba has expertise such as public health, medicine, agriculture, education and sports.

During the meeting, the ASEAN Chief and Cuban diplomat exchanged views on issues of mutual concern , including the possibility of convening Foreign Ministers’ meeting between ASEAN and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CEALAC) on the sideline of the UN General Assembly in this September in New York.-VNA