Cuban and Belgian parliamentary leaders on Monday held talks on bilateral ties, the official daily Granma reported on Tuesday.

During the meeting between President of Cuba's National People' s Assembly (Parliament), Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada, and visiting Belgian Senate Vice President Danny Pieters, the two stressed the need to further strengthen the good relations between the two countries and governments, according to Granma.

The two nations can learn from each other, "despite living in different types of societies," Pieters said, adding that "the most important thing is to strive so people may live according to the principles of the French Revolution, equality, solidarity and liberty."

While Cuba and Belgium have different priorities in the area of economic reform, Havana and Brussels have tackled similar problems and should therefore exchange their experiences in the field, Pieters said.

Meanwhile, Alarcon hailed Belgium's show of solidarity with the island nation, particularly in demanding the release of the "Cuban Five" arrested in the United States in 1998.

Pieters arrived in Cuba on Saturday and is scheduled to meet with relatives of the five Cuban agents arrested on charges of spying, as well as with Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister Dagoberto Rodriguez before concluding his visit on Friday. He also plans to tour a biotech research center.