On 11 March 2020, the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus hosted a meeting between the Chairman of the House of Representatives Vladimir Andreichenko and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba to the Republic of Belarus Juan Valdez Figueroa.

Welcoming the guest, the Chairman of the House of Representatives noted the importance of the regular meetings for expanding the dialogue between Belarus and Cuba, which is being actively developed by the heads of the two states. 

Vladimir Andreichenko noted that he had repeatedly met with the President of the Republic of Cuba on the sidelines of various international forums, as well as during the Cuban President’s visit to the Republic of Belarus. Those meetings always left the warmest impressions and confidence in the great prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation. According to the Chairman, parliamentary diplomacy should play a special role in promoting relations on a wide range of issues. He informed Juan Valdez Figueroa that the currentcalling of the House of Representatives had formed a working group on cooperation with the Cuban Parliament, headed by MP Sergei Klishevich. Vladimir Andreichenko expressed confidence that the Cuban Side can count on the necessary support from its Belarusian colleagues both in the framework of interaction in inter-parliamentary organizations and in the implementation of plans of the bilateral agenda.

Referring to the sphere of trade and economic cooperation, the Chairman noted that its current state did not correspond to the potential of the two countries.

The implementation of the joint action plan for the development of trade and economic relations between Belarus and Cuba, which is currently being agreed upon by the Sides, should help increase the volume of bilateral trade. It is due to be signed during the visit of the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus to Cuba in March 2020.

The Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation should also become an effective tool for activating Belarusian-Cuban relations. It is planned that its next meeting will be held in May 2020 in Havana. The Chairman stressed that the task of the parliamentarians is to actively participate in the work of the Commission.

The Ambassador agreed with the position of the Belarusian Side and informed the Chairman about the current political and socio-economic situation in Cuba, as well as the reasons that hinder the planned development of trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

At the same time, the Sides outlined the promising areas of mutually beneficial cooperation: pharmacology, high-tech sphere, education, tourism, children's health and others. Juan Valdez Figueroa passed to Vladimir Andreichenko congratulations of Esteban Lazo Hernandez, President of the National Assembly of People's Power of the Republic of Cuba, on the victory in the parliamentary elections, on being appointed Chairman of the House of Representatives as well as the invitation to pay an official visit to Cuba. 

In response, the Chairman asked to convey an invitation to the Head of the Cuban Parliament to visit the Republic of Belarus and expressed readiness to meet with him in the framework of international forums. The nearest event where such a meeting could take place may be the Fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament scheduled for August 2020 in Vienna.