Member of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee Esteban Lazo Hernandez, president of the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State, exchanged Friday at the National Capitol with members of the U.S. House of Representatives, James Patrick McGovern, Mark Pocan and Troy Anthony Carter, who are visiting our country.

Havana, December 10 (RHC)-- Member of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee Esteban Lazo Hernandez, president of the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State, exchanged views on Friday at the National Capitol with members of the U.S. House of Representatives, James Patrick McGovern, Mark Pocan and Troy Anthony Carter, who are visiting our country.

Accompanied by Ana María Mari Machado and Homero Acosta Álvarez, vice president and secretary of the Cuban legislature, respectively, Lazo Hernández highlighted the transcendence of these meetings, with a view to continue strengthening dialogue and inter-parliamentary relations on the basis of mutual respect. "As neighbors, the closer we are, the better we should relate to each other," he added.

Lucius Walker through the New York neighborhood of Harlem, in 2006, in the framework of his attendance to the High Level Segment of the 61st Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly, "an unforgettable visit, where I witnessed the deep affection and human warmth of the American people towards the Cuban people".

Later, he toured with the visitors the Hall of the Lost Steps of the National Capitol, an activity that was also attended by Yolanda Ferrer Gómez, head of the International Relations Commission of the National Assembly; directors of the permanent working commissions of the Cuban Parliament; the Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Josefina Vidal and Carlos Fernández de Cossío; and Johana Tablada de la Torre, Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs of the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

Previously, the U.S. congressmen had a cordial meeting with deputies of the National Assembly. They agreed on the relevance of respectful dialogue, based on sovereign equality, to deal with the most diverse issues in a reciprocal manner, in order to improve the bilateral climate and advance towards the normalization of ties between the two countries.

In his speech, James P. McGovern acknowledged that he has been to Cuba on other occasions and that today a common goal is to work towards the normalization of relations between the two governments.

In this regard, he considered that both nations should find ways to work, beyond differences, on issues of mutual interest.

"We want to work together with you to break down the walls, to have a more mature and constructive relationship, for the benefit of the people of Cuba and the United States," McGovern stressed. He added that there are no reasons to have included Cuba in the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.