More than six decades have passed since the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cuba.

On August 29, Juche 49 (1960) the DPRK established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cuba at ambassadorial level as an expression of support for and solidarity with the Cuban government and people that had put an end to the colonial enslavement policy of US imperialism in the Western Hemisphere and took the road of building a new society under the unfurled banner of revolution.

The two countries have since written a history of relations of friendship, supporting and cooperating with each other on the road of independence against imperialism and of socialism.

The bilateral relations are not merely diplomatic relations between countries but special relations of friendship based on the revolutionary principles, a sense of comradely obligation and socialist principles.

The leaders of preceding generations of the two countries established long ago comradely relations based on proletarian internationalism and revolutionary obligation and created the history and tradition of the development of the bilateral relations.

Though the two countries are far away geographically, President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il rendered positive support and encouragement to Fidel Castro Ruz and other Cuban revolutionaries who staunchly maintained the socialist principles with an unwavering anti-imperialist and anti-US stand, regarding them as their closest comrades-in-arms.

Fidel, who had long respected Kim Il Sung as a veteran revolutionary and master of world politics, wanted to meet him and share views on many problems. He sent senior Cuban Party and government officials to Pyongyang on several occasions.

Caring for Fidel’s minds, Kim Il Sung met Raul Castro Ruz on his visit to Pyongyang in October Juche 55 (1966) and many other Cuban revolutionaries and Party and government officials, giving them his opinions on the issues of their concern and those arising in developing the friendly relations between the two countries.

Saying that defending the Cuban revolution means defending the Western Hemisphere of socialism, Kim Jong Il extended full support and encouragement to the Cuban people in their struggle to build socialism.

Fidel paid a visit to the DPRK in March Juche 75 (1986).

Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il warmly greeted the Cuban guest as a revolutionary comrade and a close friend of the Korean people. During talks and visits, Kim Il Sung and Fidel had a frank exchange of views on the issues arising in defending and developing socialism and further strengthening the friendly relations between the two countries, reaching a consensus of opinions on the important international issues.

Their summit meeting marked a historic occasion in powerfully demonstrating the militant friendship and solidarity between the peoples of the two countries and consolidating the unity and solidarity in the international communist movement.

The history and tradition of the relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries forged by the leaders of preceding generations of the two countries are being further strengthened in the new century under the special concern of President Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs of the DPRK and President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez of Cuba.

Kim Jong Un warmly welcomed Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez’s visit to the DPRK in September Juche 104 (2015) and November Juche 107 (2018) with warm comradeship and friendly feelings.

Saying that the two countries are in the same trench in the struggle for defending sovereignty and dignity of their countries and safeguarding international justice, Kim Jong Un expressed invariable support to the Cuban people in their building of a powerful and prosperous country.

True to his noble intention, we are expanding and developing the friendly relations between the two parliaments in various fields.

On such major occasions as the founding anniversary of the DPRK, anniversaries of the victorious Cuban revolution and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, congratulatory messages are being exchanged at the chairmanship level between the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK and the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba. Exchanges and cooperation between the friendship parliamentary groups formed in the parliaments of the two countries have been expanded and developed in a many-sided way, giving a strong impetus to developing the bilateral relations.

Today, the Cuban people, rallied closely behind the Communist Party of Cuba headed by Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez, are achieving many successes in their efforts to defend the sovereignty of their country, build the economy, stabilize the people’s living and develop external relations, frustrating the ever-worsening economic blockade by the US against their country and the challenges and obstructive moves of the counterrevolutionary forces at home and abroad.

The Korean people regard the achievements made by the Cuban people as their own, and sincerely hope that they will register bigger successes in their struggle to implement the decisions of the Eighth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.

As in the past, so in the future, we will always be with the Cuban people in the struggle for the common cause of independence against imperialism and of socialism, and further strengthen the traditional friendly and cooperative relations with Cuba.

So Ho Won, chairman of the DPRK-Cuba Friendship Parliamentary Group of the Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK