(VOVworld)-Revolutionary leader Fidel Castro always treasures and gives top priority to nurturing relations with Vietnam, said the Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam.

Fidel Castro in Vietnam's Quang Tri province in September, 1973 (Photo: VNA)

In an interview with VOV on Sunday, Ambassador Herminio Lopez Diaz stressed: “Fidel always sees Vietnam as a close brother. This is a precious legacy that both  countries should preserve and uphold”. Mr. Diaz stated that Fidel not only led the revolution that brought independence to the Cuban people but also laid the foundation for an equal society for all, particularly in terms of access to free education and health care.

Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Herminio Lopez Diaz (Photo: Viet Khoi)

“Cuba’s achievements in social security have been recognized worldwide. Fidel Castro’s solidarity and support for the other countries’ just causes helped improve Cuba’s status internationally”, Ambassador Diaz said.

In September 1973, Fidel Castro became the first and only foreign head of state to visit a liberated zone in Vietnam during the American war. The image of the Cuban Commander-in-Chief in a military uniform waving the liberation flag in Quang Tri province provided a great source of encouragement for Vietnamese people and soldiers. In 1995 and 2003, Fidel paid his 2^nd and 3^rd visit to Vietnam.

“Vietnamese people’s warm sentiments toward Fidel inspired him to do more for the development of Vietnam-Cuba relations in whatever positions he held: Prime Minister, President of the State Council and President of the Council of Ministers, and even after he retired”, Ambassador Diaz stated, adding President Fidel Castro and President Ho Chi Minh have become a symbol and part of Vietnam-Cuba history.