Díaz-Canel at the Russian State Duma

Moscow, Nov 22 (RHC) Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel made a special speech at the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, where he thanked the support of its deputies for Cuba.

It is the first occasion that a Cuban president intervenes in this legislative body.

Parliamentary relations between #Russia and #Cuba constitute an important pillar of our bilateral ties and a key piece for the impulse and development of our economic, commercial, financial, and cooperation ties.

In recent years, he said, these relations have deepened significantly.

"The President of the State Duma visited us in February of this year and soon the President of our National Assembly of People's Power, comrade Esteban Lazo Hernandez will visit Moscow."

Our people are grateful for the resolution that this legislative body has been passing annually for 25 years against the policy of economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed for more than 60 years by the US government.

We deeply appreciate and value this gesture very much.

Díaz-Canel referred to the complex economic situation of #Cuba, due to the unprecedented blockade and the economic impact of the pandemic.

In these difficult circumstances, he said, #Cuba has the support and understanding of its closest friends, including Russia.

The president referred to fundamental aid received from Russia during the pandemic peak, the Saratoga Hotel explosion, the Supertanker fire, and Hurricane Ian.

Political relations between the Russian Federation and #Cuba are excellent. There are broad coincidences on the main issues of the international agenda and decisive cooperation in international bodies".

However, he considered that "the full development of our economic, commercial, financial and cooperation ties is still pending to bring them to the same level that political relations have today". This should be a priority, he affirmed.

Cuba strongly condemns the sanctions that today are unilaterally and unjustly imposed on the Russian Federation.

The causes of the current conflict in this area are to be found in the aggressive policy of the US and the expansion of NATO towards Russia's borders.

Cuba has systematically denounced this in international forums. Cuba is in favor of a negotiated solution to the current conflict.

Every time Cuba was faced with challenges and urgencies that seemed impossible to solve, Russia was among the first ones to help us, and thanks to that we overcame the challenges.

These are the reasons why we feel the warmth of a beloved family (Source: Twitter presidency).