MALAYSIA AND CUBA PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING

By Nor Baizura Basri

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Cuba and Malaysia are expected to hold a
joint committee meeting here this year to explore more potential areas of
cooperation between the two countries amid the global financial crisis.

The meeting was initially scheduled to be held end of 2007 but had been put
on hold due to some circumstances, Cuban ambassador Carlos A. Amores said
Thursday.

The last joint committee meeting was held in April 2006. Amores said details
of the coming meeting have yet to be finalised.

He said the global economic woes may hinder prospects of growth but Cuba
believed that there are still opportunities for the two countries to increase
their bilateral trade.

"I think among the potential areas to increase trade between Malaysia and
Cuba are biotechnology and pharmaceuticals," he told Bernama in an interview
here.

Last year, trade between Cuba and Malaysia surpassed the 2007 figure of US$1
million, contributed largely by a large shipment of computers from Malaysia
worth US$10 million.

Asked about the impact of the global downturn on Cuba, Amores said the
country has yet to feel the pinch as it had been busily restoring damages after
been hit by three hurricanes last year.

In the latest incident of the 2008 hurricane season, Hurricane Paloma struck
Cuba, destroying hundreds of homes in the process and compounding the damage and
economic losses the island experienced two months ago after Hurricane Ike.

"Up to now, we were hit very badly by three hurricanes. Damages are nearly
US$10 billion, so we are still in recovery from that as half a million houses
were destroyed," Amores said.

"We are looking for more construction materials for the restoration as well
as financial aid for us to rebuild the houses," he said when asked what kind of
assistance was needed from Malaysia.

So far, 65 countries have offered emergency assistance to the country, he
added.
-- BERNAMA