The strong imprint of the April 30 Victory in the memory of Cuban diplomats

Former Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam, Vice President of the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association, Mr. Fredesman Turró González. (Photo: Le Ha/VNA)

Mr. González first came to Vietnam in 1968 when he was only 18 years old and since then, through many working positions, the young Cuban man has always been attached to the "S-shaped strip of land" on the other side of the hemisphere, a place he soon considered his second homeland and "was willing to give his blood."

For many Vietnamese, Ambassador González is a close friend and they affectionately call him "Comrade Hung."

Memories of April 30, 1975 are still fresh in the mind of this veteran diplomat , along with the vibrant memories of his youth.

For Ambassador González, April 30, 1975 was an extraordinary milestone. People, even strangers, embraced each other in boundless happiness on the day North and South were reunified, the country was reunited.

Many people cried with joy and shouted revolutionary slogans, shouting "Vietnam-Ho Chi Minh." Officials from the Cuban Embassy in Hanoi at that time also poured into the streets to celebrate with the Vietnamese people, hugging anyone they met.

Ambassador González recalled: “I remember the first person I hugged was probably the guard in front of the Embassy. Then, together with the Cuban workers who were building the Thang Loi Hotel, I sat on a truck through the main streets of Hanoi, waving the flags of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, singing and honking the truck horn, joining the Vietnamese people in indescribable joy after more than a century of fighting against colonialism, fascism and imperialism."

The diplomat, who twice served as Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam, emotionally said: "Vietnam has gained complete independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, after countless sacrifices in terms of human life and property. The Vietnamese people, with the victory of April 30, have written one of the most glorious pages in contemporary history."

Looking back at Vietnam's development process and achievements in national reconstruction after the liberation of the South in 1975, Ambassador González commented that Vietnam has achieved impressive results in socio-economic development, especially since the 6th Party Congress approved the renovation policy in December 1986.

The Cuban diplomat pointed out that Vietnam's economy has the fastest growth rate in Southeast Asia and the country is moving rapidly towards achieving its goal of becoming a developed and modern nation, receiving the respect and admiration of other peoples.

The living standards of Vietnamese people are increasing every day and will soon become an upper middle income country.

To get to where it is today, Vietnam had to overcome many difficulties, especially during the period from 1975 to 1986.

However, 48 years after the liberation of the South, the reunification of the country and the beginning of the Doi Moi process, Vietnam has become an important player in international politics, actively operating and making many notable contributions to international organizations and forums, being a reliable partner and actively participating in the process of international and regional integration.

Vietnam is an active member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and maintains diplomatic relations with more than 190 countries, while strongly increasing the level of trade exchange and cooperation for common interests and maintaining international peace and security.

Currently, Vietnam is playing an important role in the international arena.

Unification, peace and stability have opened up more opportunities for international cooperation for Vietnam. Cuba and Vietnam maintain a very beneficial cooperative relationship.

Cuba values ​​cooperation with Vietnam in the agricultural sector of rice, corn, soybeans... and in the production of essential consumer goods.

Ambassador González believes that the Vietnam-Cuba economic relationship will continue to grow in the coming time, especially in the context of Cuba applying many measures to strengthen its economy.

The Cuban diplomat also predicted an increasing trend of cooperation, trade and investment between Vietnam and Latin America and vice versa.

From the elegant and cozy living room of his private home in the capital of Havana, with a gentle and slow Hanoi accent, "Comrade Hung" sent to the Vietnamese people his warmest congratulations and most affectionate feelings on the occasion of the April 30 victory anniversary, a brilliant milestone, a glorious page in the history of building and defending the country of the Vietnamese people.

The former Cuban Ambassador expressed: "I am very happy with the successes of Vietnam, my second homeland. I am happy as if it were my own success."

VNA