HAVANA — National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân laid a wreath at the Jose Marti Memorial in Havana yesterday, paying tribute to the recently departed Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.

The NA Chairwoman and her entourage of senior Party and State officials headed to the memorial immediately on arrival in Cuba on November 28 (local time). 

Writing in the funeral guestbook, Kim Ngân expressed the deep sorrow of the Vietnamese Party, State and people at the passing of Fidel Castro, the leader of the Cuban revolution, “a great faithful friend, close comrade and brother of Việt Nam.”

She affirmed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people would never forget Fidel Castro’s great contributions to establishing and continuously developing the special brotherhood, comprehensive co-operation and mutual trust between the two Parties, States and peoples for more than half a century. 

She also reiterated Việt Nam’s unwavering support for the Cuban people’s “just revolutionary cause” as well as its determination to continue strengthening and deepening the special bilateral relationship with Cuba. 

Kim Ngân praised Fidel Castro’s enormous contributions to global communist and workers’ movements for more than five decades, stressing that his name, career and humanitarian revolutionary thought would live forever in the revolutionary cause of Cuba as well as in the hearts of peace and justice loving progressive nations around the world.

The same day, the NA leader visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba and met with representatives of the Vietnamese community here.

Also yesterday, Nguyễn Thiện Nhân, President of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, paid homage to the revolutionary leader at the Cuban Embassy in Hà Nội. 

Writing in the funeral book, the VFF leader expressed deep sorrow at the death of the late leader. 

“The Vietnamese people and I myself admire the great devotion of comrade Fidel Castro to the national liberation and development of Cuba as well as the struggle for national independence and progress in the world,” he wrote. 

He affirmed that Vietnamese people always keep in their mind the warm sentiments and great support that comrade Fidel Castro had given the nation during its past struggles for national independence and reunification, as well as the task of building socialism. 

Nhân recalled Fidel Castro’s famous statement: “For Việt Nam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood”. 

On Monday afternoon and yesterday morning, about 60 delegations and thousands of people paid tribute to the late Cuban leader at the Cuban Consulate General in HCM City. 

Along with leaders from HCM City and a number of localities, including Bến Tre and Bình Dương, former President Nguyễn Minh Triết, former Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Lê Hoàng Quân and former Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Lê Thanh Hải paid homage to the great Cuban leader.

The Cuban Consulate General in HCM City will keep the funeral book for Fidel Castro Ruz open until December 4. — VNS