Cuban President Raul Castro met here Friday with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond on the development of bilateral ties.

Castro and Hammond reviewed the potential of deepening bilateral relations in areas of mutual interest, according to an official release from the Cuban News Agency.

The two sides also praised the signing of an agreement on restructuring Cuba's debt payments with Britain.

Also on Friday, Hammond met his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez. Hammond said the relations with Havana are a priority for London and ratified the British demand to lift the U.S. embargo on the Caribbean island.

After the Rodriguez-Hammond meeting, the two countries signed several cooperation deals regarding energy, education, cultural and financial services.

Cuba is the second leg of Hammond's Latin American tour that has taken him to Colombia and will later take him to Mexico.

Source: XINHUA