Every March we recollect a significant day which is recorded deep in the history of friendship between the DPRK and Cuba.

That is the day when Comrade Fidel Castro, the historic leader of Cuban revolution, paid a visit to our country, leading the Party and government delegation of the Republic of Cuba.

37 years has elapsed since Comrade Fidel Castro, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba, and his party visited our country from March 8 to 11, 1986. At that time, President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il offered them a warm hospitality and conducted energetic external activities, creating a turning point in the friendly relations between the DPRK and Cuba.

President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il personally went to the airport and warmly greeted Comrade Fidel Castro-the goodwill mission of the Cuban people. Also, 1 million people formed a welcoming mass all the way from the airport to the lodging quarters.

Comrade Kim Il Sung held a long exclusive talk with Comrade Fidel Castro and plenary talk with his party. During the talks they exchanged successes and experiences gained in the revolution and construction.

Comrade Kim Il Sung , based on his deep analysis and assessment of the issues on world revolution, reached an identical viewpoint on them. He also gave full support and encouragement to the Cuban people in their struggle to safeguard the revolutionary gains and socialist system.

During the visit, Comrade Kim Il Sung awarded the title of the DPRK Hero to Comrade Fidel Castro as a token of appreciation of his contributions towards the anti-U.S. and anti-imperialist struggle as well as the development of friendly relationship between the two countries.

Comrade Fidel Castro confirmed his will to always keep in mind the title of the DPRK Hero awarded to him by President Kim Il Sung not as a simple honorary title but as the symbol of his firm position to contribute to strengthening and developing the friendship and solidarity between the DPRK and Cuba.

At the banquet welcoming the Party and government delegation of the Republic of Cuba, Comrade Fidel Castro delivered a speech where he said that it was his long-cherished desire to personally meet with great Comrade Kim Il Sung and that Korean people were always there when Cuban people were in desperate need.

The agreements reached at the talks between Comrade Kim Il Sung and Comrade Fidel Castro and the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the DPRK and the Republic of Cuba which was signed during the visit constitute a historic milestone and a strong legal guarantee for two countries to closely support and collaborate and strengthen solidarity in the struggle for anti-imperialism, independence and socialism.

President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il established the friendly relations between the DPRK and Cuba together with Comrade Fidel Castro, the historic leader of Cuba, which are based on revolutionary principles, a sense of comradely obligation and socialist principle. These relations are now developing onto a new higher stage under the deep attention of Comrade Kim Jong Un , President of the State Affairs of the DPRK and Comrade Miguel Díaz-Canel, President of the Republic of Cuba.

We always send full support and solidarity to the fraternal Cuban people who are achieving victorious advance in the struggle for anti-imperialism, independence and socialism while smashing at every step the anti-socialist maneuvers of the hostile forces which are getting more undisguised. We will make continuous efforts to strengthen and develop the strategic and comradely relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Song Se Il

President of Korea-Africa Association