A heartwarming 54-year friendship between Cuba and Vietnam.

On the afternoon of January 4th, a rally commemorating the 54th anniversary of the National Day of the Republic of Cuba (January 1, 1959 - January 1, 2013) was held at the Vietnam National News Agency Center, jointly organized by the Vietnam News Agency and the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association.

National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan attended and spoke at the ceremony.
(Photo: Duong Giang/VNA)

Attending the commemoration ceremony were Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly, and President of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association; Mr. Fredesman Turo Gonzalez, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba to Vietnam; Mr. Jorge Rondon Uzcategui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Vietnam; Mr. Nguyen Duc Loi, Director General of the Vietnam News Agency; Mr. Vu Xuan Hong, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations; Mr. Tran Son, Deputy Minister of Construction; and representatives from the Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and others.

Speaking at the commemoration ceremony, Central Committee Secretary, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly, and President of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, affirmed: “We believe that with their unwavering courage and determination, the heroic Cuban people will continue to overcome all difficulties and challenges, successfully implement the resolution of the 6th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba on updating the economic model, and maintain and promote the achievements of a friendly society in many fields such as education, health, and sports…”

Ms. Kim Ngan also called on the US government to quickly lift the unjust and unreasonable half-century-long embargo against Cuba.

In the presence of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Vietnam, Jorge Rondon Uzcategui, and other Venezuelan guests, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan asked the Ambassador to convey her regards and best wishes for President Hugo Chavez Frías's speedy recovery, wishing him a quick recovery so that he can continue to lead the Bolivarian revolutionary cause of the Venezuelan people to glorious victory.

In an emotional atmosphere, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba to Vietnam, Fredesman Turo Gonzalez, on behalf of the Party, Government, and people of Cuba, expressed gratitude for Vietnam's unwavering support, assistance, and solidarity.

The ambassador shared that the Vietnamese government's reaffirmation of its desire to continue developing and promoting projects related to the Food Security Program currently being implemented in Cuba with the assistance of Vietnamese experts is extremely important to Cuba.

For the Cuban people, January 1st is a day of immense significance. It commemorates the successful Revolution, an epic written by courageous fighters in the mountains and plains under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, which in 1959 brought permanent freedom and independence to the Cuban nation after more than a century of unwavering and heroic struggle…

At the ceremony, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam News Agency Le Duy Truyen also extended his warmest congratulations to the leaders of the Party, State, and people of Cuba on the occasion of the 54th anniversary of the National Day of the Republic of Cuba.

"The past 54 years have marked the continuous consolidation and strengthening of the fighting solidarity, fraternal friendship, and close cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba, sown by President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban national hero José Martí, and diligently nurtured by generations of leaders and people of both countries," Mr. Truyen said.

Mr. Truyen particularly emphasized the close and expanding relationship between the two countries, which has yielded positive initial results in many fields, including education, healthcare, trade, agriculture, and construction.

Mr. Truyen also affirmed: "With unwavering faith in the victory of the Cuban Revolution, we wish the fraternal Cuban people success in updating their economic model, continuing to advance the Cuban Revolution, and successfully building a prosperous, beautiful, and socialist Cuba."

According to (Vietnam+) - LT