The fraternal meeting in Geneva between Esteban Lazo Hernández, member of the Political Bureau, Cand the Council of State, and Valentina Matvienko, president of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, in the context of the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, was a demonstration of the close and strategic relations between Cuba and Russia.

Lazo conveyed greetings from Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution, and Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic.

Matvienko highlighted the close ties between the two legislative bodies, as well as the significance of Cuba’s incorporation into BRICS as a partner country and into the Eurasian Economic Union as an observer state.

Lazo also spoke with the president of the National Assembly of Cambodia, Khuon Sudary; the president of the Chamber of Deputies of Equatorial Guinea, Salomón Nguema Owono; and the president and secretary general of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Tulia Ackson and Martin Chungong, respectively, whom he thanked for their firm rejection of the US economic blockade against Cuba.

He exchanged views with Zhao Leji, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress; and with Rawhi Fattouh, head of the Palestinian National Council, and participated in the opening of the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament.

He also participated in the parallel event Respecting International Law and the United Nations Charter to Ensure International Peace and Security, in which he reaffirmed his condemnation of Israel’s attacks on Iran and reiterated Cuba’s support and solidarity with the cause of the Palestinian people.