Cuban Parliament Discusses Guidelines for 2008

This period of sessions will be the last one of the Sixth Legislature
that concludes its five-year term on January 20, 2008, when the second
stage of the national general elections takes place.

Parliament members will also assess the results of the country in 2007
and will approve the budget for next year.

This period of sessions takes place after the ten permanent commissions
of the Cuban Parliament met on Wednesday and Thursday to analyze
important aspects of the social and economic situation of the country
that included topics that went from national defense to economic
performance and the services. Projects of the economic plan and the
budget for 2008 were also discussed as well as reports on the work done since 2003 until today.

Speaking in the Commission of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Foreign
Minister Felipe Perez Roque stressed that the hostile policy of the US
administration towards Cuba is more isolated than ever.

In his breafing of deputies on several aspects of the island’s foreign
policy in 2007, Perez Roque said that Cuba increased and developed its
international relations during the year as it never did before.

He noted that the island has diplomatic relations with 186 countries
while there are 123 embassies of countries and international
organizations in the Cuban capital.

He added that more than 540 foreign delegations, including 20 heads of
state and government, seven vice presidents and 16 foreign ministers,
visited the island in 2007 in spite of all kinds of pressures and
threats by the US government.

The Cuban top diplomat recalled that the world rejection of the US
economic blockade continues to grow as it was reflected at the UN
General Assembly, where 184 countries voted against it earlier this
year.

He also referred to the strengthening of strategic economic and
political ties with China and Venezuela as well as the cooperation with
the so-called Third World.