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The 4% increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year is a good result, in spite of the international economic crisis and the persistent economic, financial and commercial blockade of the United States, asserted on Tuesday Army General Raul Castro, President of the Cuban councils of State and Ministers.
Raul delivered the closing speech at the Sixth Regular Period of Sessions of the Seventh Legislature of the National Assembly of the People’s Power, in which he also mentioned the worsening of external financial restrictions in the second half of 2015.
He pointed out that next year the GDP will continue to increase but at a slower pace, two percent, as a result of planned financial restrictions associated with the fall of incomes in traditional export lines due to a decrease in their prices on the world market, such as nickel.
In his address to the MPs, the Army General called to an international mobilization in defense of the progressive governments of Latin America and the Caribbean, so acts of interference cease.
Amid the international context he described, the President of the councils of State and Ministers championed the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States as an essential mechanism to achieve the regional consensus of the 33 nations in the region.
Likewise, he said he was optimistic about the peace talks between the FARC-EP and the Colombian government, a process that is closer than ever to reaching an agreement to end the armed conflict that has existed in that country for half a century, and reiterated that Cuba will continue its impartial work as guarantor and venue of the talks.
In connection with the thousands of Cubans who for over a month now are in Costa Rica, where they arrived from other countries in the region with the intention of traveling to the United States, he said that the Cuban government has been in contact with the region’s governments from the start of this situation, in search for a suitable and quick solution.
In another moment of his speech, he referred to the visit to Cuba of Pope Francis, precisely in the year when the 80th anniversary of uninterrupted bonds between the Holy See and the Caribbean nation was celebrated.
He further stressed that this year bilateral political dialogues with many countries strengthened, as evidenced by the visits to Cuba of 184 foreign delegations, 25 of which were led by Heads of State or Government from all regions.
The Cuban President reiterated that to normalize bilateral relations with the United States the blockade must be lifted and the territory occupied by the Guantánamo Naval Base returned.
He also referred to the progress made in the negotiations of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between Cuba and the European Union, as well as in bilateral relations with its Member States.
He announced that in February he will pay an official visit to France, in reciprocity to that made by President Francois Hollande to Cuba.
At the 7th Regular Period of Sessions of the 8th Legislature of the Cuban Parliament, deputies met at Havana’s Convention Center approved on Tuesday the name of 2016: Year 58 of the Revolution. (Taken from Cuban News Agency)
