29 de junio de 2010, 09:37 Havana, Jun 28 (Prensa Latina) Cuba's President Raul Castro and Syria's Bachar Al Assad talked about the tense situation existing in the Middle East, as part of the latter's first official visit to this Caribbean nation.

Both statesmen exchanged on the excellent state of bilateral relations and international current issue, the Cuban TV mid-day newscast reported on Monday.

Syrian and Cuban Foreign Ministers Walid Al Mouallem and Bruno Rodriguez,respectively, as well as Policy and Media Advisor of the Presidency Bouthaina Shaaban attended the meeting.

Prior, Raul Castro officially welcomed his Syrian peer at the Revolution Palace.

The visitor is carrying out a Latin America tour that has taken him to Venezuela and includes Brazil and Argentina.

Al Mouallem and Cuban Justice Minister Maria Esther Reus signed on Monday cooperation accords, to fight illegal drug traffic, related and correlated crimes, psychotropic substances and similar effects.

The parties also signed an understanding memorandum on agriculture, to foster bilateral cooperation, and establish a common framework for the mutual development of beneficial agricultural actions.