Havana, May 2 (RHC) – Cuban Foreign Minster Bruno Rodriguez has met with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, as part of activities on the second day of his official visit to Cuba.

During the meeting with Rodriguez, Kishida said he was pleased to be the first Japanese foreign minister to visit Cuba. He also expressed his desire to strengthen diplomatic and economic relations with Cuba, and for that, he said “I've come with a delegation of 30 businesspeople, with a high interest in Cuba.”

Japan's diplomatic chief, who arrived in Cuba on Thursday from New York, has praised the recent thaw in relations between the United States and Cuba, saying this development would positively reflect on Japan-Cuba relations.

Kishida also said that Japanese  business interest in Cuba is likely to intensify because of the prospect of the US lifting economic sanctions on Cuba.