At the very beginning of the meeting, Bojan Torbica pointed out that November marked the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which have never been interrupted despite both countries’ very turbulent history. He also spoke of Serbia and Cuba’s reciprocal support in international institutions, through resolutions and other mechanisms. He took the opportunity to thank Cuba for its principled stance on the territorial identity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia and reminded that in November, at the United Nations General Assembly, Serbia voted to lift the American sanctions against Cuba. He added that he is aware of the fact that almost 80% of Cuba's population was born under the sanctions and that the estimated damage of the 62 years of American embargo on the Cuban economy exceeds one billion euros.

Torbica said that Serbia's support for Cuba is not merely a courtesy, which history confirms, and referring to the one-time aid that Serbia donated to Cuba, to mitigate the damage caused by the hurricane, which had caused enormous material damage and claimed human lives. He went on to say that despite the great geographical distance, economic cooperation between Serbia and Cuba could be greater, especially in the field of medicine, where Cuba has had considerable success. He also pointed out that there is no shortage of top-level visits, referring to the fact that in August of this year, the President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic had awarded the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla, with the Order of the Serbian Flag, First Class, for exceptional contributions to developing and strengthening cooperation and friendly relations between Serbia and Cuba.

H.E. Gustavo Trista del Todo thanked the host for the opportunity to meet with the members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Cuba and the large number of members who responded to the meeting. He agreed that the bilateral relations between the two countries speak of a great friendship, inviting the MPs to attend the issuance of the Cuban postage stamp, which will symbolically immortalise the 120 years of diplomatic relations. He confirmed that bilateral relations are at a high level, adding that the spirit of friendship can also be seen between the citizens of the two countries. He said that this year over 2,000 Serbian tourists have visited Cuba, expressing hope that this number would double next year. He then briefed the MPs on the situation in Cuba, expressing regret that his mandate in Serbia is to come to an end in February next year.

The officials also discussed the introduction of direct flights between the two countries, which would deepen economic cooperation, agreeing that the countries can get closer to each other by expanding cooperation in the fields of medicine, culture, tourism and sports.

The meeting was attended by a large number of PFG members, who took the opportunity to introduce themselves to the Ambassador and discuss possible mutual visits of friendship groups and the space for cooperation.