The statue of President Ho Chi Minh is located in Hoa Binh Park in La Havana. The delegation was very moved when being welcomed by more than 50 representatives of the local Party cell, local people and the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association, including architect Yoel Diaz Gutierres, 82 years old, is the designer of the statue.

Vietnamese and Cuban delegates (Photo: tienphong.vn)

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Julio Heriberto Gomez Casanova, representative of the Cuban Communist Youth Union Central Committee, expressed that the placing of flowers by the delegation is more meaningful as it happened on the 91st birthday of Commander Fidel Castro. Uncle Ho and Fidel Castro are the founders and developers of the Cuba - Vietnam special friendship that the young people of both countries have inherited and continue to build.

He also said that the statue of Uncle Ho is cared for carefully by the local Party cell and people.

Mr. Le Quoc Phong, First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, Head of the delegation, expressed his affection when visiting the statue of Uncle Ho in the Cuban capital Havana. He would like to thank architect Yoel Diaz Gutierres, local Party cell, local people and the Cuban - Vietnam Friendship Association for their care of the statue and warm welcome for the delegation. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Youth Union will work with the Cuban Youth Union to foster the special friendship, contributing to the fulfilment of the aspirations of President Ho Chi Minh and President Fidel Castro, to contribute to the success of the revolutionary cause of each country.

The delegation also visited Ben Tre village in Artemisa province. The name of the village was given based on the idea of a group of Vietnamese students in Cuba to work in the village in 1969. The delegation visited a number of places in the village, including a school under construction at a cost of USD150,000, donated by a business in Ben Tre province.

The delegation met the leaders of the Artemisa provincial Youth Union, representatives of agencies and local people, and youth at a museum of the village. The museum is built in the form of a stilt house with thatched roof. In the museum, many images of President Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and many souvenirs from Vietnam are displayed and kept.

The Director of the museum said that the museum has become a tourist attraction, which attracts not only Vietnamese delegations and Cubans who want to learn about the Cuba- Vietnam special friendship, but also many international delegations.

Mr. Le Quoc Phong presented a lotus painting made from rice and a large photo of the monument of Ben Tre General Uprising to the village and museum. He also had a talk with young people from the village, aged 16-25, about their study, job and aspirations./.

BL