TEHRAN, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Cuba on Monday signed seven cooperation documents and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) as well as a joint statement on deepening strategic bilateral relations, Iranian president's office said in a statement.
The MoUs and documents, signed by the two countries' high-ranking officials in the presence of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his visiting Cuban counterpart Miguel Diaz-Canel, aim to promote bilateral cooperation in the areas of science, technology, health, agriculture, energy, mining, communications and medicine.
Speaking at a joint press conference following the signing of the documents, Raisi said that "standing against the global hegemonic system's excessive demands is a consensus of Iran and Cuba."
He noted that the Iranian and Cuban peoples had been sanctioned by the U.S. for their resistance against the country's "excessive demands," adding the expansion of cooperation and exchange of capacities among sanctioned countries were among the effective ways to "neutralize" the embargoes.
The Iranian president also regretted the situation in Gaza, saying the two presidents had highlighted the necessity to support Palestinians in their talks.
For his part, the Cuban president described the 40-year Cuba-Iran relations as "historical and based on mutual respect," according to Iran's official news agency IRNA.
He said Cuba regards Iran as its friend and brother in the Middle East, and voiced his support for Iran's legitimate right to determine its fate and sovereignty, condemning U.S. "meddlesome" moves against Iran.
Leading a high-ranking delegation, Diaz-Canel arrived in Iranian capital Tehran on Monday for talks on expanding bilateral cooperation. His visit is the first trip by a Cuban president to Iran since 22 years ago, when late Cuban President Fidel Castro traveled to Iran.
Both Iran and Cuba are under sanctions imposed by the United States and have been promoting cooperation over the past years to counter the embargoes. ■
