Cuban President meets with President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe

On Monday afternoon, at the Palace of the Revolution, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, welcomed Her Excellency Mrs. Celmira de Almeida do Sacramento dos Santos Lourenco, President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Image via the PCC

By Alina Perera Robbio, translated from the Spanish

"Dear friend, we are delighted to welcome you, and your visit brings us great joy," said the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, on Monday afternoon at the Palace of the Revolution, as he greeted Her Excellency Mrs. Celmira de Almeida do Sacramento dos Santos Lourenco, President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.

The Head of State appreciated that it is "a visit which reaffirms and revitalizes the historic bonds of friendship between our governments, our nations, our parliaments, and most importantly, our peoples."

In the friendly meeting, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba highlighted to the President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe that "we have a historic relationship" with her country. He further noted, "in July of this year, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of relations."

The dignitary mentioned that "the beginning of those relations featured a very beautiful, exciting, and sentimental moment, which I believe provided a fundamental foundation of solidarity, affection, respect, and admiration" to that closeness, "as the collaboration emerged precisely when an educational project was initiated, allowing children from São Tomé and Príncipe to come to Cuba."

Díaz-Canel Bermúdez noted that since that foundational moment, "we have experienced 50 years of continuous relations; I would describe them as excellent." He highlighted that cooperation between the two nations has primarily occurred in the areas of health, education, and agriculture.

The president conveyed to the visiting friend that "it now seems crucial to us that, from your position, we also work on strengthening the connections between our National Assemblies. These parliamentary ties can greatly support the overall relationship we maintain as a government and as a State."

In front of a delegation that included two young individuals who studied in the Cuba, the Cuban President sought to use the opportunity to express "our commitment, our determination, and our readiness to continue strengthening, broadening, and expanding our political, economic-commercial, and especially parliamentary relations."

The dignitary assured the parliamentary leader, "You can count on Cuba to continue expanding these relations." He also wished to send a greeting to the authorities of the friendly nation through Her Excellency Mrs. Celmira de Almeida do Sacramento dos Santos Lourenco.

For her part, the President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe said in her opening remarks: "Thank you very much, Mr. President, first of all, for facilitating this meeting with you here." She also extended gratitude for all that São Tomé and Príncipe means to the island.

She also highlighted the friendship that binds the two countries and shared details about the agenda during nearly a week of work in Cuba: "This meeting of ours here concludes our visit to Cuba on a high note," she stated.

The President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe stated that she is departing from Cuba with a new perspective compared to when she arrived. She mentioned this change is due to learning "a great deal about history, about Cuba's National Hero, and much more about Commander in Chief Fidel Castro."

The leader highlighted that the delegation visited the Fidel Castro Center, the José Martí Memorial in the Plaza of the Revolution, and the picturesque landscapes of Viñales in the province of Pinar del Río. She remarked that although the time spent was brief, it was "very productive."

Also present on Monday afternoon on the Cuban side were the member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and president of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP) and the Council of State, Esteban Lazo Hernández; as well as Ana María Mari Machado, vice president of the ANPP and the Council of State; and senior officials of the Assembly and the Foreign Ministry.

This work was translated and shared via a License CC-BY-NC