Havana, December 26 (RHC)-- Cuban President Raúl Castro has sent a message of congratulations to employees at the Havana-based Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) on the organization's 55th anniversary.

The message was read by the head of the Foreign Relations Office of the Cuban Communist Party's Central Committee, José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera, who attended the ceremony at Havana's Conventions Center.

On hand were other government and PCC leaders, representatives of solidarity with Cuba groups from around the world and Cuban heroes Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, René González and Antonio Guerrero.

In his message, President Raúl recalled that the Cuban Friendship Institute was created 55 years ago, on December 30th, 1960, on an initiative by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, on the premise that offering solidarity with just causes around the world would always be an essential component of the Revolution.