By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Cuba are stepping up efforts to strengthen their long-standing bilateral ties, exploring new opportunities in economic cooperation with a renewed focus on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
This commitment was underscored during a bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla
He said Malaysia and Cuba’s diplomatic ties could be strengthened through collaboration in the pharmaceutical sector, where Cuba has made significant advancements, including developing its own COVID-19 vaccines and conducting clinical trials for diabetes and heart disease treatments.
“Cuba has expertise in pharmaceuticals, research, and technology—that is what’s important for Malaysia to strengthen these fields,” he told Bernama after the bilateral meeting on Thursday.
As Malaysia aims to strengthen its pharmaceutical industry, Mohamad emphasised the importance of exploring new collaborations to ensure better and more affordable access to medicines for Malaysians.
Bruno is on a four-day official visit to Malaysia, from Wednesday to Saturday (Feb 12). This marks Bruno’s first visit to Malaysia since assuming office on March 2, 2009, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Cuba, established on February 6, 1975.
Meanwhile, the foreign ministers also discussed opportunities arising from Malaysia and Cuba’s recent recognition as partner countries within the BRICS, the bloc of emerging economies—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Mohamad said that although Malaysia is not a full member yet in BRICS, the participation opens doors to broader trade networks and economic partnerships.
"BRICS offers a gateway for Malaysia to diversify its trade markets and reduce dependency on traditional partners. Trading within this group alone grants access to vast markets, including Cuba," he added.
Meanwhile, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and Cuba’s Prensa Latina signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration in news exchange and media cooperation.
The agreement, which formalised a partnership between the two news agencies, was signed during the four-day official visit of Cuba's Foreign Minister to Malaysia.
Bernama’s Chief Executive Officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, and Cuban Ambassador to Malaysia Florentino Batista-Gonzales, who represented Prensa Latina, inked the MoU in Malaysia’s capital, paving the way for greater cooperation between the two news agencies.
Nur-ul Afida said the agreement marks a significant step in strengthening ties between both news agencies while expanding Bernama’s global reach.
“Previously, Prensa Latina contacted Bernama to express their interest and proposed a collaboration in media content dissemination and distribution. We see this as a valuable opportunity, especially as Malaysia and Cuba celebrate their diplomatic relations,” she said.
She highlighted that the MoU is the result of discussions held over several months, which culminated in an agreement that promises to foster mutual growth in news sharing and journalistic exchanges.
“This MoU is a chance for Bernama to further strengthen media cooperation, particularly with Prensa Latina in Cuba,” she said expressing optimism that the partnership would provide Bernama with opportunities to showcase its content on the international stage, including to audiences in Cuba.
“I hope this collaboration goes beyond just news exchange. In the future, we aim to establish further partnerships, including journalist exchanges or placements between both news agencies,” she added.
-- BERNAMA
