A get-together was held in Hanoi on April 16 to celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the great historical Giron victory of Cuba (April 19, 1961-2013).

The event was jointly organised by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association (VCFA) and the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam.

Addressing the event, VCFA Vice President Nguyen Duy Cuong said the Giron victory was of important significance for the struggle for national independence of Cuba in particular and the Latin American region in general.

It was also a great encouragement for the national liberation movement of third-world countries, including Vietnam, he added.

Cuong spoke highly of great achievements the Cuban people have made during the past half a decade under the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba, especially in politics, socio-economics, health and education.

During those years, Vietnam and Cuba have always stood side by side to together overcome all difficulties and win great victories in their revolutionary causes, he noted.

Loria Rivera, Economic Counsellor at the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam thanked the Vietnamese side for organising the event and recalled the day 52 years ago when Cuban people replied to the call of Commander-In-Chief Fidel Castro to defeat more than 1,500 US-trained mercenary troops who landed at Giron as part of a scheme to overthrow the fledgling Cuban government after less than 72 hours.

Both Cuong and Loria Rivera expressed their belief that the solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and Cuba will further develop in the futute.

The get-together also saw the presence of a visiting delegation from the Switzerland-Cuba Association led by Prof. Federico Jauch.-VNA