SYRIA, April 21, 2017 .- The Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Damascus offered a reception on Thursday on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the Victory in Playa Girón and 71nd of the Independence of Syria. The event was attended by the President of the Syrian Parliament, Hadiya Abbas; The Political and Media Adviser to the Syrian Presidency, Dr. Bouzeina Shabaan; The Minister of the Presidency, Mansour Azzam; The Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Samer Khalil; and the Minister of Health, Nizar Yazeyi.
The event was also attended by the Vice President of the National Progressive Front Omran Al-Zoubi; the First Deputy Chancellor, Faisal Mekdad; the President of the Syrian-Cuba Friendship Association and member of the Baath Party leadership, Abdul Nasser Chafie; and former Information Minister Mohsen Bilal.
Representatives of Palestinian organizations with offices in Damascus, representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Syria, and prominent political, military, business, cultural, academic and parliamentary figures also participated in the event. A large number of professionals graduated in Cuba and Cuban citizens residing in Syria also participated. The activity was covered by journalists from the main local and regional press, as well as correspondents from Prensa Latina and the Latin American television station Telesur.
During the reception, the Cuban Ambassador and Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Aiman Sousan signed a Reciprocal Visa Exemption Agreement for the diplomatic, official, special and service passports of the two countries.
Following the signing of the agreement, the Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in Damascus, Rogerio Santana, gave a speech in which he stressed that Syria can always count on the solidarity of Cuba and expressed that the signing of the Visa Exemption Agreement is an example of it. He said that this is a gesture that clearly indicates Cuba's willingness to continue to strengthen ties of brotherhood with the government and people of Syria and the conviction that in defending its sovereignty in the face of international terrorist aggression, Syria will win.
The Cuban diplomat said that 56 years ago, the victory of Cuba in Playa Girón took place against a US military invasion, a historical fact that constituted the first defeat of imperialism in Latin America.
He explained that the mission of the invaders was to create a "beachhead" in Giron and establish a provisional government "Made in the USA", but in less than 70 hours the invading enemy forces were defeated by the Cuban revolutionaries led by Fidel, who During all the time that the battle lasted it was in the first line of combat.
The Cuban diplomat used to express Solidarity to two brother countries: Venezuela and North Korea, which as Syria are also being threatened and attacked by imperialism.
Meanwhile, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Aiman Sousan reaffirmed the deep historical relations between Syria and Cuba which are based on common positions in defense of the sovereignty and independence of States and in confronting the arrogant and hegemonic policies of imperialism And its instruments of colonialist domination.
He added that terrorism is currently the greatest threat to all humanity and is the West's instrument to create instability in the region, to attack countries that say "no" to US policies and to appropriate the resources of these countries.
The Syrian diplomat appreciated the Cuban positions in support of Syria in its confrontation against terrorism and stressed that the signing of the agreement confirms the common desire to further deepen relations.
In the end, Sousan greeted the Cuban Revolution, President Raul Castro and the revolutionary spirit of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro.
