Workshop honoring the ideological values ​​of Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro

Co-organized by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and the Níco López High-Level Party School in the capital city of Havana, the scientific conference “Fidel Castro and Ho Chi Minh: Vision of Revolution” affirmed the everlasting value of the ideology of these two outstanding revolutionary leaders.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Thao, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics at the workshop. (Photo: Le Ha/VNA)

Speaking at the conference, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Ideological Department of the Communist Party of Cuba, Víctor Gaute Lopez, affirmed that more than ever, the political thoughts of President Ho Chi Minh and Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro are now inexhaustible sources of knowledge for progressive and revolutionary movements around the world.

After reviewing many milestones in the close relationship between Vietnam and Cuba, spanning nearly six decades and through many revolutionary stages, comrade Gaute López stated: "We have been, are and will always be loyal comrades on the same fighting trenches."

The workshop opened with a discussion on the legacy and ideological similarities between Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro, with the participation of many representatives of different generations, including those who had memories of both leaders such as veteran journalist Martha Rojas, the last foreign reporter to interview President Ho Chi Minh, and President of the Cuban National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee and President of the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association Yolanda Ferrer.

During the three thematic sessions of the workshop, Vietnamese and Cuban speakers introduced their papers and research on the thoughts of President Ho Chi Minh and revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on cadre training, the cultural and historical roots of the Vietnamese and Cuban revolutions, the foundation of Ho Chi Minh's thoughts in Vietnam's Doi Moi process and Fidel Castro's ideological orientation in the process of updating Cuba's socio-economic model, or the role of the Communist Party in implementing revolutionary tasks.

With the assessment that the issues discussed at the conference are both fundamental and urgent, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics Nguyen Viet Thao said that the presentations vividly demonstrated that the visions of President Ho Chi Minh and revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on economic, cultural, social, defense, security and Party building issues are vivid visions, so these two outstanding leaders never become the past but always accompany each other, are "contemporaries" in every stage of development of each nation.

Central Secretary and Head of the Ideological Department of the Communist Party of Cuba Víctor Gaute Lopez speaks at the conference. (Photo: Le Ha/VNA)

Central Committee member, Rector of the Níco López Higher Party School of the Communist Party of Cuba, Rosario Pentón Díaz commented: “Perhaps the greatest similarity between Ho Chi Minh and Fidel is that they are two peoples that the two leaders helped to forge, two peoples that won their independence with great resilience and sacrifice, and now continue to fight for that independence, two peoples with similar qualities, culture, winning spirit, and the firm belief that only a form of socialism is a worthy future for the peoples of the world.”

During their working visit to Cuba from September 16-20, the delegation of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics also met with Comrade Víctor Gaute Lopez, worked with the Office of Historical Affairs of the Cuban State Council, the José Martí Research Center, and visited a number of notable historical and cultural centers of the neighboring country./.