THE international role that Russia has recovered in recent years is undeniable. Its current political weight in international forums has allowed it, to a certain degree, to play a balancing role in the correlation of global forces. This, in conjunction with stable economic development, has enabled the nation to extend its collaboration outward and to cross the Atlantic in search of new links with Latin America.

The recent visit to Cuba by Valentina Matvienko, President of the Russian Federation Council, served to stimulate inter-parliamentary relations and demonstrated current wide-ranging possibilities for cooperation between Cuba and Russia. Matvienko belongs to the governing United Russia Party, and was city governor of St Petersburg from 2003 through 2011, when she took up her role as head of the Federation Council. In an interview with Granma, the political leader, considered the third most important figure in Russia today, detailed the results of her visit and Russia's position in relation to recent international events.

During my visit, we signed a joint agreement between our Parliament Chamber and the Cuban National Assembly, in a context of the active development which our countries have enjoyed in recent years. Taking this into account, it is very important that our parliaments join the process of consolidation of bilateral relations. A powerful stimulus for this initiative was Cuban President Raúl Castro's visit to Russia in 2012, and also Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev's visit to Cuba in February 2013. We are happy to have found a solution for regulating the debt. The technical details of the agreement are being worked out so that it can be promptly endorsed and approved in our Parliament.

Despite the fact that trade relations have grown recently, they still do not reflect the potential and possibilities of our two countries. The value of our trade exchange is approaching $270 million, according to 2012 figures, which is insufficient. We are currently negotiating a broad range of projects relating to energy, and Russian companies such as Zarubezhneft are actively involved in oil prospecting in Cuban waters, and this work is going to continue.

Scientific and technical exchanges now have a special place. We can perceive prospects in activating our contact in the area of technology. Nor should our collaboration in education be overlooked; we are interested in Cuban students taking courses in Russian universities. Tourism is also important to us, and we know that, for Cuba, it plays a primary role in the economy. The number of Russian tourists to Cuba is rising each year. Younger generations are interested in Cuba, they study and research about Cuba and this is important for the continuation of our collaboration.

Our country has developed very active relations with Latin America. Today, we are also in a phase of reestablishing relations of friendship and collaboration with all the countries in the region.

The integrationist movement CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), in which Cuba has a clear leading role, is highly attractive in terms of our political perspectives. Our interest in developing relations with this mechanism is demonstrated by the upcoming visit to Russia of Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, as part of the CELAC troika.

We believe that parliamentary diplomacy plays a very important role in intergovernmental relations. For this reason, we strongly support our contacts with the U.S. Congress and Senate. But not everything is simple. We have a series of problems and differences which we need to discuss and find solutions agreeable to both sides. Through our country’s Parliament, we have directly addressed the U.S. Congress to ask for the elimination of the economic blockade of Cuba. We have also addressed the need to liberate the five Cuban antiterrorists, who are unjustly incarcerated. The margin of our relations with the United States Congress is ample and we want to advance in dialogues.

Regarding the detention of the U.S. spy, this happens periodically in various countries. It is a fact that he was arrested for illegal activities in the territory of another country. He was caught, as they say, red-handed, and of course the Russian Federation has taken measures to deport him. But this is a sovereign and just decision, we do not believe that this could seriously affect relations between the United States and Russia. We understand the significance these things have at both the bilateral and international level. Our contacts are not exempt from problems, but we believe that there is no need to exaggerate the situation.

They were U.S. citizens of Chechen origin. For its part, the Russian Federation had warned the United States that they represented a terrorist threat, but regrettably, Washington did not react. I should like what happened to really make the United States stop politicizing these issues, open its eyes and realize that terrorism represents a threat to all governments. I hope it does not damage the image of the Chechen people because, unfortunately, terrorists do not have nationality, and in spite of everything, I would like this act to lead the U.S. to closer cooperation with the Russian government and the rest of the international community in the battle against terrorism. I would imagine that a change of position will come about.