"We are very willing to work together with Cuba," said Australian Senator Chris Back, when he was received in Havana by Ms Ana Maria Mari Machado, MP and Vice President of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP).
The visitor expressed his satisfaction that the National Assembly was the first host of his visit to the island, adding that he would like to get closer to the Cuban experience on such important topics as education, foreign investment and the tourist industry.
The vice-president of the ANPP described the motivations of the Senator in wanting to know the Cuban reality as excellent and also was encouraged with his interest in deepening the exchange between both countries. Maria Machado also conveyed the greetings of the Mr Esteban Lazo Hernández, MP and President of the ANPP to Senator Back.
Ana Maria Mari Machado said that the meeting with Senator Back is of great interest to Cuba, and it shows that it is possible to continue strengthening relations between both countries, which were initiated in 1989. Ms Machado mentioned there were similar concerns between Cuba and Australia in relation to climate change…
She explained to Senator Back the process of updating the Cuban economic and social model, the application of new regulations of the foreign investment law, with portfolios of opportunities that allow advantageous business for both parties.
Ms Machado pointed out that in areas such as education there is already a history of collaboration with Australia, with the implementation of the Cuban "Yes I Can” literacy teaching programme, where more than 700 people in Australia’s remote areas have learned to read and write.
When Senator Back learned that the Cuban parliament is made up of 612 deputies, of whom 299 women, representing 48.9% of the total number of parliamentarians, he mentioned that by comparison in his country, the number of female members of parliament is much lower.
Mari Machado emphasized that such a predominate position of women in Cuban society had been won by women since before the triumph of the Revolution - on the one hand for their participation in the armed struggle and which was later reaffirmed by their participation in all the tasks entrusted to them.
Other Cuban representatives present at the meeting were Ms Yolanda Ferrer Gómez MP and President of the Committee on International Relations of the National Assembly, and Omar Torres, Member of the commission.