President of the Cuban parliament holds meeting with his Laotian counterpart

HAVANA, Cuba, Apr 8 (ACN) Esteban Lazo Hernandez, member of the Political Bureau and president of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP by its Spanish acronym), held today a virtual meeting, from the Capitol in Havana, with Xaysomphone Phomvihane, his counterpart in the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

During their conversation, Lazo expressed the wish that these exchanges contribute to reactivate parliamentary relations and the progress of economic and commercial ties between both nations, along with other matters of mutual interest in the international arena.

He also stressed his satisfaction at the opportunity to establish a first meeting, although virtually due to the limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and urged to maintain systematic contact between the two parliaments in order to expand the issues discussed.

The president of the Lao National Assembly affirmed that Cuba is a strategic friend of that Southeast Asian country, and highlighted the exchange in priority areas such as health, sports, culture and information.

He also suggested directions of cooperation between the legislatures, which will allow to continue establishing MOUs and discussions on common issues and interests, as a way to promote the work of both governments and implement bilateral cooperation.

Ana Maria Mari Machado, vice president of the ANPP; Homero Acosta Alvarez, secretary of the ANPP; Delsa Esther Puebla, president of the Cuba-Laos parliamentary friendship group; Cristina Morales, president of the health and sports commission, and Areylis Santana, president of the commission for children, youth and equal rights for women, were present.

Other participants were Juan Carlos Marsan, vice chief of the international relations department of the Central Committee of the communist party of Cuba (PCC), and Alberto Blanco Silva, director of Asia and Oceania of the foreign affairs ministry.