HAVANA, July 18 (NNN-ACN) — Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, Cuban deputy foreign minister, and Sergey Aléinik, Belarusian foreign minister, reviewed the state of bilateral ties and expressed their willingness to continue boosting economic and trade links between the two countries.
The foreign ministry said on its website that Vidal Ferreiro reiterated her gratitude to Belarus for its longstanding support for the resolution presented by Cuba at the United Nations General Assembly, condemning the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States.
Aléinik thanked Cuba for its consistent and firm position in condemning the sanctions applied to Belarus.
During the meeting, both diplomats reaffirmed their interest in exploring new opportunities for mutually beneficial exchanges.
The parties reviewed different issues on the bilateral agenda and exchanged on the international and regional situation.
The visitor was accompanied by Valery Baranovsky, ambassador of Belarus to Cuba; Anatoly Glaz, head of the Directorate of Information and Digital Diplomacy of the General Directorate of Information and Analysis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dimitry Derevinsky, head of the Latin American Department of the General Directorate of Asia, Africa and Latin America of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Alexey Zenkov, deputy head of the Directorate of Organization and Control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assistant to the Minister.
The Cuban side was represented by Gustavo Machin Gomez, Director General of Political Planning; Luis A. Amoros Nuñez, Director General a.i. of Bilateral Affairs; Ana Silvia Rodriguez Abascal, Director General a.i. of Multilateral Affairs and International Law; Iliana Fonseca Lorente, Director General a.i. of Press, Communication and Image; and Santiago Perez Benitez, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to the Republic of Belarus. –
Meanwhile, Esteban Lazo, president of the National Assembly of People’s Power (Parliament), described as decisive the relations between Cuba and Belarus, in a separate meeting with Aléinik.
During the meeting, Lazo, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, recalled with pleasure his visit to Belarus in December 2022, where he was received by Aléinik, who was then serving as acting foreign minister.
After updating his interlocutor on the functioning of the Parliament and the next regular session that will begin Tuesday, Lazo conveyed his warm greetings to the Belarusian people, which he said has always supported Cuba in its struggle for the end of the US blockade and more recently for the exclusion from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Aléinik highlighted the bonds of affection and mutual trust between both countries, united in a brotherhood that does not understand distances, and praised the capacity of the Caribbean nation to preserve its sovereignty and self-determination in the midst of the shortages and difficulties generated by the policy of harassment applied by U.S. imperialism.
In this way, they agreed on the willingness to continue working to strengthen ties and expand collaboration in areas of common interest.
During the meeting, both parties exchanged an Interparliamentary Cooperation Agreement, previously signed, with the aim of strengthening relations between the legislative bodies and promoting key bilateral projects and contributing to a better functioning of the Cuba-Belarus Intergovernmental Commission.
Rolando Gonzalez Patricio, president of the International Relations Commission; Teresa Gonzalez Bares, president of the Cuba-Belarus Parliamentary Friendship Group; and Valery Baranovsky and Santiago Perez Benitez, ambassadors from both countries, were also present. — NNN-ACN
