The ceremony was attended by H.E. Mr. Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Vietnam; Ms. Đỗ Thị Thu Thảo, President of the Vietnam Red Cross Society; Mr. Nguyễn Sỹ Trường, Vice President of the Vietnam Red Cross Society; Ms. Lê Nữ Thùy Dương, Non-Executive Vice President of the Vietnam Red Cross Society; Mr. Võ Tuấn Ngọc, Deputy Director-General of the Americas Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Nguyễn Văn Hanh, Deputy Head of the Mass Organizations Affairs Division, Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, together with other delegates and representatives of news agencies and the press.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ms. Đỗ Thị Thu Thảo, President of the Vietnam Red Cross Society, expressed her pleasure at coordinating with the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Vietnam to organize the ceremony to symbolically present support from the Vietnamese people to the Cuban people on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of Leader Fidel Castro Ruz.
This occasion provides an opportunity to commemorate and pay tribute to Leader Fidel Castro Ruz – a great friend and close comrade of the Vietnamese people, a leader who showed special affection for Vietnam and provided strong and consistent support to the Vietnamese people during difficult moments in history.
The image of Leader Fidel Castro visiting the liberated zone of Quảng Trị in 1973, together with his famous statement, “For Vietnam, Cuba is ready to shed even its own blood,” has become a symbol of solidarity, friendship and profound affection between Vietnam and Cuba.
According to Ms. Đỗ Thị Thu Thảo, an entire generation of Vietnamese people grew up with stories of the affection that Cuba showed towards Vietnam. Subsequent generations have inherited an invaluable legacy of friendship, loyalty and profound solidarity that the Cuban people have extended to the Vietnamese people. Therefore, carrying forward this tradition is not merely about remembering the past, but also about turning gratitude into concrete actions today.
Over the years, the Cuban people have continued to face difficulties in their daily lives, directly affecting their livelihoods and well-being. Guided by the Vietnamese tradition of compassion, expressed in the spirit of “loving others as we love ourselves,” and by the spirit of international solidarity, the Vietnamese people, through the Vietnam Red Cross Society, are providing VND 100 billion in support to the Cuban people.
This is not merely material assistance, but also an expression of affection, solidarity and gratitude from the Vietnamese people to the Cuban people; at the same time, it represents the continuation of a friendship nurtured through generations of steadfast loyalty and deep affection.
Through the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Vietnam, the Vietnam Red Cross Society conveys the following message to the Cuban people: “The Vietnamese people will always stand side by side with the Cuban people.”
Ms. Đỗ Thị Thu Thảo affirmed that, for the Vietnam Red Cross Society, humanity knows no borders and compassion is not limited by geographical distance. When a person is in need of solidarity and support, compassionate hearts will always find a way to reach one another. This is also the message embodied in today’s support: practical assistance, but above all, an expression of heartfelt solidarity.
Speaking at the ceremony, H.E. Mr. Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Vietnam, expressed his profound gratitude for the meaningful gesture of solidarity extended by the Vietnam Red Cross Society.
On behalf of the Government and people of Cuba, the Ambassador expressed his deep emotion at the sentiments concerning the relationship of solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba shared by the President of the Vietnam Red Cross Society.
The Ambassador stated that the support from the Vietnamese people to the Cuban people comes at a time when Cuba is facing an extremely difficult situation due to the tightening of the blockade and embargo, as well as the energy blockade and threats from the Government of the United States. According to the Ambassador, this support is a testament to the unwavering solidarity of the Party, State and people of Vietnam with the revolutionary cause of the Cuban people.
Beyond its material value, which contributes to mitigating the impact of the blockade and embargo on the daily lives of the Cuban people, the support also represents a powerful message of encouragement from Vietnam – a country that has given the world many examples of determination, fighting spirit and the ability to overcome all obstacles.
The Ambassador emphasized that receiving this gesture of solidarity just hours before the ceremony commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of Leader Fidel Castro – a loyal friend of Vietnam and of President Ho Chi Minh – carries special significance for Cuba.
Ambassador Rogelio Polanco Fuentes stated that Leader Fidel Castro was one of the foremost leaders in supporting the struggle of the Vietnamese people for national liberation, reunification and national development. The Ambassador expressed his confidence that the friendship and solidarity between the Vietnamese and Cuban peoples, built by Leader Fidel Castro and President Ho Chi Minh, will continue to be preserved and promoted by future generations.
The Cuban Ambassador also recalled last year’s campaign in support of the Cuban people, launched by the Vietnam Red Cross Society and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, which achieved results that deeply moved and touched the Cuban people and for which they remain profoundly grateful. On this occasion, the Ambassador congratulated the Vietnam Red Cross Society on the successful organization of its 12th National Congress, while acknowledging the Society’s dedicated and responsible humanitarian activities in supporting people and communities facing difficulties.
At the ceremony, Ms. Đỗ Thị Thu Thảo, Mr. Nguyễn Sỹ Trường, Ms. Lê Nữ Thùy Dương and H.E. Mr. Rogelio Polanco Fuentes took part in the symbolic presentation ceremony of VND 100 billion in support from the Vietnamese people to the Cuban people, in the presence of representatives of the leadership of the Vietnam Red Cross Society, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.
Following the symbolic presentation ceremony, the delegates gathered for a commemorative photograph and visited a photo exhibition on Leader Fidel Castro Ruz at the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Vietnam.
The symbolic presentation of support to the Cuban people on the occasion of the 100th birth anniversary of Leader Fidel Castro Ruz reflects the affection, solidarity and spirit of mutual support of the Vietnamese people towards the Cuban people, continuing the tradition of special friendship, steadfast solidarity and profound bonds between the two nations.