Moscow - During a meeting today with the Cuban First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Miguel Diaz Canel, the chairman of the State Duma, Sergei Naryshkin, said that Russia highly valued the strategic relationship with Cuba.

After welcoming the Cuban leader and his accompanying delegation at the parliamentary headquarters on their first official visit to the Federation, Naryshkin stated that the level of interaction between the two countries reflects 'the strategic nature of the partnership between Russia and Cuba'.

"Your country has demonstrated more than once that the relationship with Russia is, for Cuba, an unconditional priority and that is does not depend on the political situation," the parliamentary leader said.

Naryshkin reiterated that the Caribbean island is a reliable and durable partner in Latin America and an 'ally', which marches shoulder to shoulder with his people.

He also stated that bilateral economic and trade cooperation between the two countries is developing successfully.

The First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, Ivan Melnikov, and the head of the International Affairs Committee, Alexei Pushkov, and other representatives of the State Duma, participated in the official talks on the Russian side.

Deputy Foreign Minister, Rogelio Sierra, and the island's ambassador to Russia, Emilio Lozada, and other members of the Cuban delegation, attended the meeting alongside Diaz-Canel.

The Cuban leader and officials of the island's government will visit the Russian Skolkovo Innovation Center.