Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, member of the Party's Political Bureau and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, continued his busy schedule in Moscow, which included meetings on Thursday with authorities from the political, governmental, and parliamentary systems of the Russian Federation.
The Prensa Latina news agency reported that the president of the Communist Party of Russia, Gennady Zyuganov, confirmed to the Cuban foreign minister the ongoing solidarity of that political force and denounced the White House's policy of seeking to subjugate countries not aligned with its interests.
Rodríguez thanked the Russian communists for their historic support and their sustained denunciation of the economic blockade against the Caribbean island, and underscored the coincidence of principles in defense of sovereignty.
In the parliamentary sphere, the president of the Federation Council (Upper House of Parliament), Valentina Matvienko, described the energy blockade as "genocide against the Cuban people" and reiterated her country's firm opposition to actions seeking a change of government in Havana.
She also recalled that the Russian Parliament annually approves declarations demanding an end to the economic, commercial, and financial blockade that for more than six decades has sought to stifle the development of the largest of the Antilles.
The Foreign Minister assured her that Cuba will continue to defend international law and will resolutely confront the intensification of coercive measures, including those derived from decisions by the U.S. President.
Similarly, in an exchange with the first vice president of the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament), Ivan Melnikov, Rodríguez confirmed that relations between nations "are sovereign and do not depend on circumstances or external political power."
"For us, Cuba is a strategically important partner in the Latin American region, as we defend similar positions and principles in the international arena," agreed the Vice President of the Communist Party of Russia.
These high-level meetings followed the reception given the previous day to the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and the Vice President of the Security Council and President of the United Russia Party, Dmitry Medvedev.
