Two 'mavericks' meet

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, MAY 11. It's a first for the Cuban President, Mr. Fidel Castro. The bete noire of the United States today made common cause with the anti-globalisation proponent, the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohammad.

The Cuban President, on his first visit to Malaysia, is said to have held ``friendly and warm'' talks with the Malaysian Prime Minister. Mr. Castro, who held talks with Dr. Mahathir at Putrajaya near Kuala Lumpur, the country's administrative centre, described both of them as ``two mavericks''.

The Malaysian Foreign Minister, Mr. Syed Hamid Albar, was quoted as telling reporters after the meeting that the two leaders shared common views about globalisation and spoke of creating a more equitable global order. ``Both leaders agree that developing countries need to come together, need to be able to understand the issues and tackle them in a very intellectual and articulate way,'' Mr. Hamid said.

The two leaders are said to have discussed cooperation in agriculture, medical projects and joint research while Mr. Castro urged the Malaysian Government to invest in Cuba's growing tourism industry. According to Mr. Hamid, the Cuban President commended the Putrajaya project, which has been criticised by many Malaysians for its mega nature. ``He (Mr. Castro) said even projects like this in Putrajaya some people may see it negatively but history will judge it as a correct project,'' the Foreign Minister was quoted as saying. Before arriving in Malaysia, Mr. Castro also paid visits to Iran and Algeria.

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Section  : International
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