Relations between parliaments can contribute to strengthening relations between governments, noted Esteban Lazo Hernández, member of the PCC Political Bureau and president of the National Assembly of People’s Power, upon receiving Sir Gerald Watt, speaker of Antigua and Barbuda’s House of Representatives.
Lazo stated that it was an honor to be receiving the visiting delegation for the first time, given Cuba and Antigua and Barbuda’s longstanding ties of friendship and solidarity.
The President of Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power thanked the island nation for its vote cast at the UN in favor of the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba.
During the encounter, Lazó explained that, to date, 194 students from the sister nation have graduated from Cuban institutions, while 63 are currently studying on the island.
He added that at present, 43 Cubans are offering services in Antigua and Barbuda as part of Operation Miracle, which has seen 1,349 citizens receive corrective eye surgery, representing one in every 52 inhabitants.
For his part, Sir Gerald Watt, accompanied by Osbert Frederick, vice president of the country’s Senate, invited Lazo to visit his country and expressed interest in collaborating in spheres such as education.
The delegation’s stay, which ends tomorrow, also includes visits to important national sites, as well as meetings with Cuban officials in order to continue strengthening bilateral relations.
Cuba and Antigua and Barbuda celebrated 21 years of uninterrupted diplomatic relations in 2015. The country of approximately 90,000 inhabitants is a small island nation located in the east of the Caribbea.
