When His Excellency Sergei Ryabkov – Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation – told the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, on Thursday afternoon that he felt "highly honored to be received by you," the dignitary's response recalled a history of mutual support between the two nations: "You are a great friend of Cuba."
From the Palace of the Revolution, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party said to the visitor, who had come exclusively to Cuba in the context of the Inter-Ministerial Meeting between the Republic of Cuba and the Russian Federation: "First of all, it is imperative that we take this opportunity to send a hug to our dear friend, President Putin, and greetings to all the friends of the Russian Federation."
President Díaz-Canel told his interlocutor, "First of all, I want to express my gratitude, on behalf of the Party, the Government, and the Cuban people, for the fuel shipment you sent us a few days ago." The Head of State considered it "an event of enormous significance and great symbolism," and emphasized that, beyond the valuable fuel, the gesture "means that Cuba is not alone."
He then reasoned that the aid also signifies that “in the midst of a complex situation, countries like the Russian Federation support Cuba, demonstrating the courage of countries like the Russian Federation not to be subjugated by imperialist policies.” Along the same lines, Díaz-Canel said that this supply “supports a concept we are defending, which is that we have every right to receive oil, and that other countries have every right to export oil to Cuba.”
To His Excellency Sergei Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, the Cuban President emphasized: "I would like you to convey this message of gratitude to the Russian government, to President Putin, especially given the enormous significance of this aid at a time like this." Díaz-Canel was illustrative regarding the importance of the assistance: "It is the first and only fuel we have received in four months, and that means a great deal to us."
At another point in the exchange, the president referred to the recent participation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, in the 23rd session of the Cuba-Russia Intergovernmental Commission, held in St. Petersburg. Regarding this, he stated that "the commitment to move forward on all projects remains, and therefore the agreements reached with President Putin are reaffirmed."
In his remarks, the Head of State also wished to "reaffirm our commitment to continue strengthening political, diplomatic, and economic ties with the Russian Federation." He also spoke of "further deepening our special relationship," as well as "the need to remain united," especially "at a time like this when the world is so chaotic with existing conflicts."
For his part, His Excellency Sergei Ryabkov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, stated: "Dear Mr. President, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to hold this meeting. We value it as a strong signal, both within the Russian Federation and the international community, of the special nature of the relations between Havana and Moscow."
The friend also wanted to express his gratitude for the program Cuba had organized for him; he alluded to the moment he was received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla; and he emphasized: "I would like to express that, at this moment, Russia is one hundred percent in solidarity with Cuba. We fully understand the complexity of the situation the country is going through, and we stand with you."
This Thursday, at a meeting where brotherhood set the tone for the dialogue, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic, Gerardo Peñalver Portal, was also present on the Cuban side.
