On behalf of the Presidium of the PCFR Central Committee, the first vice-president of the political organization, Ivan Melnikov, presented the distinctions to Cuban ambassador Gerardo Peñalver Portal, recognizing the contributions of the aforementioned individuals to the historic relations of friendship shared by the two peoples and parties.

The Cubaminrex website reported that the Cuban diplomat thanked the PCFR for the awards granted our main leaders and emphasized the enduring bonds shared, evident in ongoing mutual support, and in the Russian party’s unwavering opposition to the U.S. blockade of Cuba.

Melnikov, also first vice-president of the Russian Federation’s State Duma, was accompanied at the ceremony by the Party’s vice-president, Dimitri Novikov, and the head of its international relations department, Mars Zabirov.

In a joint article published in this newspaper, the foreign ministers of Russia and Cuba, Serguey Lavrov and Bruno Rodríguez, respectively, stated that both nations “look optimistically to the future of bilateral relations and continue working to fully defend sovereignty and independence, as well as the right to guarantee security and construct our own destinies.”

(Source: Granma)

The visit comes within the framework of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the People’s Republic of China, an appropriate occasion on which to ratify the excellent state of our multifaceted and strategic ties.

The Cuban delegation also includes the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rogelio Sierra Díaz, and the Cuban Ambassador to China, Alberto Blanco Silva.

(Granma)