Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez held a meeting on Saturday with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, who proposed an official meeting between the two countries' heads of state in Ankara.

Cavusoglu is the first Turkish foreign minister to pay an official visit to Cuba in the past 20 years.

The two sides discussed bilateral ties during the friendly meeting, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that they "ratified the mutual desire to expand and diversify the existing ties, especially in the area of trade and cooperation."

Local media reported that Cavusoglu extended an invitation to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel for a visit to Turkey and a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey's capital this year.

Earlier, the Turkish foreign minister met with Esteban Lazo, president of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba. The two agreed on the need to increase bilateral relations, especially in the area of economy and trade.

Turkey will maintain exchanges with Cuba, Cavusoglu said, noting that the two countries share the same position on several global issues, the statement added.