WORKING GROUPS TO MAINTAIN CONTACTS WITH PARLIAMENTS OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES   OFFICIAL VISITS AND WORKING CONTACTS

Members of the Council of the Republic have met with the Chairman of the National Assembly of People’s Power of the Republic of Cuba

On October 30, 2006 the Chairman of the Council of the Republic Mr. Gennady Novitsky met with the parliamentary delegation of the Republic of Cuba headed by the Chairman of the National Assembly of People’s Power Mr. Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada. Present at the meeting from the Belarusian side also were Mr. Stepan Pisarevich, Chairman of the Council of the Republic Standing Committee for Economy, Budget and Finances, and Mrs. Lyudmila Postoyalko, Chairperson of the Council of the Republic Standing Committee for Demographic Security and Social Development.

The Chairman of the Council of the Republic recalled that at the last summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries, which was held in Havana, it was stated that the changing international situation demands consolidation of NAM. In G.Novitsky’s view, parliaments have a crucial role to play in promoting NAM as an important component of the balance in the international arena for which purpose it would seem expedient to create an inter-parliamentary assembly within the organization’s framework.
         The Chairman of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba supported the idea proposed by the Belarusian side and stressed the role played by the Republic of Belarus in the European arena, emphasizing the independent policy pursued by the country’s leadership.
         In addition, the parties discussed the political situation in certain countries of Latin America as well as coordinated approaches to the solution of key international problems.