HAVANA - Cuba and Iran have agreed to boost cooperation in fields including transport and biotechnology, after a visit to Havana by a top Iranian diplomat, the Cuban foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Amir Mansoor Berghei, who was in Havana from Sunday to Tuesday, held talks with Cuban officials including Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez; Transport Minister Jorge Luis Sierra; and deputy trade and investment minister Orlando Hernandez.

Cuba and Iran called their relations "excellent," and agreed on ventures in biotech, agriculture, transport and trade, the Cuban foreign ministry said.

Bilateral trade between Cuba and Iran rose from 22.9 million dollars in 2007 and 46.4 million in 2008, official data show.
The two countries last year agreed on a joint venture to produce refrigerators and other small appliances for the Cuban market, in addition to parts for the railroad industry. Iran has given Cuba a 680 million dollar credit as part of that deal.