Fidel was truly a man of the ages, a legend, a leader who united the nation, under whom Cuba became an Island of Freedom and gained sovereignty. Having endured enormous trials, the Cubans persevered against American sanctions despite enormous pressure from Washington.
Cuba has always and in every way remained a strategic partner for our country. This is precisely the course Fidel Castro set. Russia continues to support the Cuban leadership at all levels and consistently advocates at the UN for the lifting of the American trade and economic embargo on Havana.
I would like to express my special gratitude to the Communist Party of the Russian Federation faction, personally to Gennady Andreyevich Zyuganov, my friend and colleague, First Deputy Chairman of the International Affairs Committee Dmitry Georgievich Novikov, and to everyone involved in the preparation and implementation of this landmark exhibition.
