Malaysia's Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was due in Cuba's capital Tuesday for a one-day visit aimed at bolstering cooperation and trade ties, officials said.

According to the official Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma , the Malaysian top diplomat's visit is for a bilateral meeting on economic and scientific or technical cooperation between Kuala Lumpur and the Americas' only one-party communist-ruled state.

Cuba also is due to take over the leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement from Malaysia in September.