Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and his
visiting Australian counterpart Stephen Smith on Monday signed in Havana a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on strengthening bilateral ties.
The memorandum seeks to institutionalize political consultations and establish regular
contact between the two sides.
It is the first document of the kind signed between the two countries in the history of their
20-year relationship.
Rodriguez stressed the importance of the cooperation and common views between the
two states on such issues including the struggle against climate change, the protection of the
ozone layer, opposing unilateral restrictive measures and upholding free trade.
Rodriguez also expressed appreciation for Canberra's vote in the United Nations (UN)
backing the Cuban report against the economic, trade and financial embargo that the United
States continues to impose on the island.
For his part, Smith said he was pleased at how the two countries had been working closer
in the last two years in international organizations, especially "in the UN," while expressing confidence that his visit would contribute to "relaunching and strengthening" the bilateral ties.
Smith also expressed his country's interests in establishing closer ties with the Caribbean
community.
"We want to work in the regional and bilateral framework with multilateral organizations such as the Caribbean community," said the Australian foreign minister, who arrived here Monday for a two-day visit.