This was confirmed during his meeting with Valentina Matvienko, President of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly, demonstrating the close historical and strategic relations between Cuba and Russia, especially the ties between the two legislative bodies.

Lazo extended the greetings of Army General Raul Castro and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to Matvienko and highlighted the potential for further strengthening ties.

For her part, Valentina emphasized the significance of Cuba’s incorporation into the BRICS as a partner country and into the Eurasian Economic Union as an observer country, which will contribute to strengthening bilateral cooperation and also with the other member countries of these groups.

According to reports from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the busy agenda included fruitful meetings with the President of the Cambodian National Assembly, Khuon Sudary; the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of Equatorial Guinea, Salomon Nguema; and the President and Secretary of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Tulia Ackson and Martin Chungong.

“With all of them, he emphasized his willingness to expand and strengthen relations and expressed his gratitude for their firm stance in rejecting the US government’s economic blockade of our country for more than six decades,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.

The president of the National Assembly spoke during the forum with Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, and Rawhi Fatooh, the head of the Palestinian National Council.

jdt/ro/bbb