Fidel Castro's imprint on Cuba-Vietnam relations praised

Havana, Aug 13 (RHC) The imprint of Fidel Castro's thought and work in the everlasting brotherly relations between Cuba and Vietnam was exalted on the occasion of the 98th anniversary of the birth of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution.

Precursor of the opening of the first and only embassy in the South Vietnamese jungle during the war against the U.S. invader, the Commander in Chief always expressed his admiration for the Vietnamese independence struggle and especially for its leader, President Ho Chi Minh, Joy Puentes stressed.

The charge d'affaires of the Cuban diplomatic mission in this capital recalled that in the most difficult years of the war, in the 1960s and 1970s, there was not a speech made by the head of the Cuban Revolution in which he did not mention the heroic resistance of the Vietnamese people and expressed his full support and solidarity.

As in Cuba, everywhere in this Indochinese nation people remember an anecdote related to Fidel Castro, or a phrase from one of his speeches, or his historic visit in 1973, in the midst of the armed conflict, to the liberated zone of Quang Tri, where today at dawn flowers were laid in the park that bears his name, he said.

Such a simple but meaningful act says a lot about the affection and love felt here for the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution and his legacy, and makes Fidel Castro in Vietnam a legend as well, he said.

Puentes took the opportunity to reiterate his gratitude to the Vietnamese people and their leaders for the constant expressions of solidarity and support to Cuba, especially in the most difficult moments, and said that "if today we stand firm against the intensified blockade and the aggressions of the United States is largely thanks to their support".

For his part, Minister Counselor Virgilio Lora said that when Cuba faces the most difficult circumstances "we always think of Fidel, but also of the example of Vietnam, which has known how to rise up with extraordinary strength".

Lora also highlighted the faith in victory, the vision of the future and the transcendence and actuality of the thought of the maximum leader of the Cuban Revolution, to whom we owe -he said- this special and solid relationship of brotherhood with Vietnam.

The commemorative ceremony for the 98th anniversary of the birth of Fidel Castro, held at the Cuban embassy here, was attended among others by the deputy general directors of America of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vo Tuan Ngoc, and of the Foreign Ministry, Le Cong Tien.

In addition, the vice president of the Friendship Association, Phan Van Quy, the head of the Vietnamese Graduates Club in Cuba, Nguyen Lien, representatives of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), and the Association of Veterans of the strategic Truong Son-Ho Chi Minh route. (Source: Prensa Latina)