A ceremony is held in Havana, Cuba, on September 12 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro's first visit to Vietnam and the liberated zone in Southern Vietnam (September 1973 - 2023). (Photo: VNA) Havana (VNA) – First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of CubanMiguel Mario Díaz-Canel on September 12 chaired a ceremony to celebrate the50th anniversary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro's first visit to Vietnam and theliberated zone in Southern Vietnam (September1973 - 2023).
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassadorto Cuba Le Thanh Tung said that President Fidel Castro's visit to Vietnam in1973 was an important milestone in the bilateral relations. President Fidel Castro became the first and only foreign head ofstate to visit the newly-liberated region and hold aloft the flag of the NationalLiberation Front of South Vietnam.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Thanh Tung speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA) Tung emphasised that leader FidelCastro's visit and gesture helped encourage revolutionary forces and spread the solidaritymovement with Vietnam around the world. He expressed his belief that Cuba willovercome all difficulties and obstacles and win victories in the cause ofsocialist construction.
For his part, Roberto Morales Ojeda,Politburo member and permanent member of the Communist Partyof Cuba Central Committee's Secretariat, highlighted the significance of Fidel Castro’s visit toVietnam 50 years ago.
In all his speeches as well as conversationswith officers, soldiers, and people of Vietnam throughout the journey, theleader of the Cuban revolution emphasised Vietnam's extraordinary role in the revolutionary andnational liberation movements around the world, Morales Ojeda said.
President Fidel Castro's visit not onlycontributed to building the traditional fraternal relationship and solidarity between thetwo countries but also highlighted the determination of both peoples to build socialism in a way that is suitable to the characteristics of each country, the official stressed.
Morales Ojeda was moved at the faithfulsolidarity that the Vietnamese people have reserved for Cuba, especially in the mostdifficult times. Cuba deeply acknowledges Vietnam's sincere and wholehearted support in the contextthat this Caribbean island nation is still facing an embargo, he added.
Vietnam is Cuba’s second-largest Asian trading partner and the largest Asian investor in Cuba. Economic and traderelations have contributed to strengthening their traditional relationship./.
