The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of nations should be respected by all and developing countries should be allowed to run their socioeconomic and political affairs without interference, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki said Friday.

Speaking when he met with Esteban Juan Lazo Hernandez, vice president of the Council of State of Cuba who paid him a courtesy call at State House in Nairobi, Kibaki stressed that all independent countries should have the freedom to decide on the political system they want to adopt.

Kibaki also hailed the existing bilateral cooperation between Kenya and Cuba, expressing hope that Hernandez's visit will serve to enhance the relations even further.

Hernandez, who is on a tour of African countries including Namibia and South Africa to drum up support for his country against isolation in the international arena, briefed Kibaki on Cuba's relations with the United States.

He called for solidarity and unity among the Third World countries to guard against exploitation by developed countries, noting that Cuba has had a long attachment to Africa, especially during the colonial liberation struggle in the 1960s and 1980s.

Cuba and the United States severed diplomatic relations in 1961.

Since then, the United States has been enforcing a blockade against the Caribbean country.

Source: Xinhua