HAVANA, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of Cuba and El Salvador on Thursday pledged to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two nations, and they highlighted the friendship ties uniting both countries.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and El Salvador's President Salvador Sanchez Ceren met at Havana's Revolution Palace to discuss bilateral cooperation, regional issues and other topics of the international agenda.

"During the visit of comrade @sanchezceren, President of El Salvador, to Cuba, we reaffirmed the political will to promote economic, trade and cooperation relations between our countries," said the Cuban president in a message posted on his Twitter account.

Ministers from both countries on Thursday finalized new mechanisms to continue strengthening trade relations by signing the first additional protocol to a bilateral cooperation association agreed between the two countries in 2012.

The agreement contemplates the improvement of tariff related issues and other mechanisms of commercial exchange.

With this extension to the original accord, both countries agreed to add new products to the bilateral export portfolio with tariff preferences.

Among the main Salvadoran products exported to Cuba are concrete poles, cardboard boxes, medicines and PVC compounds, among others. While the island sends to the Central American nation devices for the medical industry, supplies for the chemical-pharmaceutical sector, cigars, among other products.

Before returning to his country next Saturday, Sanchez Ceren will visit the eastern city of Santiago to pay homage to late Cuban leader Fidel Castro at the Santa Ifigenia cemetery.