Foreign Minister Phil Goff held informal talks with Fidel Castro yesterday but New Zealanders are unlikely to see the famous Cuban leader here.
Mr Goff is in Latin America for several weeks, visiting Guatemala, El Salvador, Cuba and Peru.
Speaking from Havana before leaving for Peru, Mr Goff said his informal meeting
with President Castro lasted more than an hour and covered economic, political and social issues.
Although it was doubtful that Mr Castro would travel to New Zealand, the Cuban Foreign Minister was likely to visit within the next two years.
"The meeting was largely about matters that the two countries could cooperate on, and sharing a bit of information," Mr Goff said.
"Cuba has an interest in New Zealand and the Pacific and indeed some of the Pacific countries are confronting some of the same developmental and health challenges Cuba has confronted.
"They showed a lot of interest in the work New Zealand was doing, both in development and peacekeeping."
Mr Castro wore his trademark khaki uniform, said Mr Goff.
"He's in good health, he's got a very quick mind."
The four countries are significant trading partners for New Zealand, mainly in dairy products, with exports worth $342 million last year.
Accompanying Mr Goff is Fonterra regional manager Brian Willis, who attended the minister's meetings with Economic Ministers.
"But we are also actually trying to put New Zealand on the radar for a range of other things," Mr Goff said.
Those included the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, disarmament, human rights, the environment and whaling.
Mr Goff also met the Justice Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Trade Minister and the International Economic Organisation Minister.
The New Zealand delegation also sampled the main Cuban export to New Zealand - cigars.
"When we had our working lunch with the Foreign Minister he offered us cigars and as they are the main exports from Cuba to New Zealand, it seemed undiplomatic not to accept it," Mr Goff said.
"It was only after I lit my cigar and I was coughing my way through it that he acknowledged that he was a non-smoker. At that point I didn't see it necessary to finish the cigar."
Mr Goff, a non-smoker, also discovered that the Cuban leader gave up smoking in 1985.
- NZPA
