Russia and Cuba Bristling at Growing Bilateral Ties -By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

State Duma, Russia’s lower chamber of legislators, bristled late March 2025, at the strengthening multifaceted ties with Cuba during the first-class interaction during a special session in which the visiting President of the National Assembly of People’s Power and President of the Council of State of Cuba, Esteban Lazo Hernández, participated in Moscow. In an effort to further solidify the long-standing ties, dating from Soviet era with Russia, Hernández’s official working visit, at the same time, reflected a strategic push for consolidating economic and security partnership with the Kremlin and State Duma.

Hernández’s latest visit marked an important stage in preparing the next meeting in the Kremlin between President Vladimir Putin and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez during the celebrations marking 80 years of the Great Victory. In addition to this, Bermúdez’s visit will coincide with another major anniversary linking the two countries, that is by history 65 years of bilateral diplomatic relations between Russia and Cuba.

Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and Esteban Lazo Hernández, in their address both at the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, as well as party-level talks with the ruling United Russia party, have striken common themes such as seeking dialogue based on the principles of mutually beneficial cooperation, the absence of double standards, and non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. Russia and Cuba are concerned over the possibility of overcoming existing challenges and countering Western sanctions. For example, Cuba has been under sanctions pressure, doing everything to protect its sovereignty, for these 60 years.

Hernández expressed gratitude to Vyacheslav Volodin and his Russian colleagues for the warm welcome and the opportunity to hold negotiations, and created such a working mechanism to give impetus to the parliaments, and also within the framework of permanent contacts of the committees.

He assertively noted that in 2025, there are two significant dates for Russia and Cuba: the 80th anniversary of the Victory over fascism and the 65th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations after the Cuban Revolution. “During this time, we have managed to strengthen the roots of friendship as true brothers who have passed all the tests of time. Russia and Cuba are strategic partners, allies,” added the Speaker of the Parliament of Cuba.

In the context of shifting geopolitical situation, Russia and Cuba have entered a period of intensive highest-level of frequent interactions, which Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described as paving the way for an agreement on strengthening strategic partnership across the board and stepping up coordination on the international stage, and while making sure that these initiatives materialize by drafting the corresponding decisions and resolutions.

The Russian-Cuban Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation is expected to hold its meeting soon. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko will be visiting Havana, Cuba. The Joint Commission has been discussing measures necessary for the development of bilateral relations, including in such areas as agriculture, energy, tourism and education, as well as legislative activity to counter foreign interference in internal affairs and protection of national security and sovereignty.

In the near future, at the end of April, Cuban parliamentarians will take part in the International Forum of the Union State “Great Heritage — Common Future”, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. It will be held under the auspices of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Belarus and Russia in the hero city of Volgograd, a city which lies on the western bank of Volga river. Volgograd is the third-largest city of the southern federal district, and the fourth-largest city on the Volga.

Esteban Lazo Hernández thanked Russia for providing support to Cuba in its fight against the embargo, the statements were adopted by the State Duma. Russia has always helped Cuba in the most difficult moments for the island country at the backyard of the United States. Russia and Cuba have excellent political relations. Both have similar views on major issues on the international agenda and there is decisive interaction within the framework of international organizations, and working for preserving a multipolar order in the world.