MOSCOW, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez pledged on Monday to expand bilateral ties in the economy, investment, culture and humanitarian spheres.

Russian companies are involved in large-scale and long-term projects in Cuba in the energy and metal sectors, transport, infrastructure, supply of automotive and railway equipment, agriculture and consumer goods industry, Lavrov said at a joint press conference with Rodriguez.

"We have positive plans for the future in all these areas, as well as in the areas of health, biopharmaceutics, information and communication technologies, the peaceful use of atoms, and the peaceful exploration of space," Lavrov said.

For his part, Rodriguez said that the economic, financial and scientific relations between Cuba and Russia as well as cooperation in the tourism, pharmaceutical and biotechnological sectors, as well as in the energy, transport and many other sectors are developing well.

"They have a promising future and are an example of how a big country like Russia develops relations with a small island... for the benefit of our people," he said.