The Star.com.
Malaysia. Tuesday, February 20, 2001
KUALA LUMPUR: Cuban President Fidel Castro is very keen to visit Malaysia
this year to learn and seek assistance from the country's high-tech and economic
development experience.
Visiting Cuban Foreign Minister Filipe Perez Roque who met Foreign Minister
Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar yesterday said Malaysia had a commendable economic
growth record since its independence.
Roque said in an interview that he was here to extend Cuba's hand of
friendship to the people of Malaysia and improve bilateral economic, scientific
and cultural ties.
"President Castro thinks very highly of Malaysia's economic
development and he has high regard for Dr Mahathir.
"We feel there are a lot of economic sectors in which Malaysian
businessmen can enter into joint ventures with their Cuban counterparts,'' said
Roque who was Castro's personal assistant for seven years before being Foreign
Minister for the past one-and-a-half years.
He said that Cuba and Malaysia shared common views on the international
political front through South-South dialogues and in the Non-Aligned Movement.
Roque said Cuba was very advanced in biotechnology and biomedical research
of vaccines.
"This is something we can share with Malaysia.
"On the other hand, we can learn from Malaysia's experience in tourism
development, industrial development and telecommunications,'' he said. | 