-DATE-
19630521
-YEAR-
1963
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
FAREWELL TO KIEV
-PLACE-
USSR
-SOURCE-
MOSCOW IN SPANISH
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19630522
-TEXT-
Castro Farewell to Kiev

Moscow in Spanish to Cuba 1200 GMT 21 May 1963--L

(Text) Dear friends of the Ukraine: The moment of leaving is always the
saddest, especially when the visitor has been as well received as you have
received us. In the hours that we have been in this area of the USSR, the
Soviet Ukraine, we have been able to appreciate your work, your
extraordinary advances in the economic field. We have been able to learn
the figures of your production of iron, steel, your agricultural
production, how much corn is produced and how much olive oil and sugar. We
have also been able to admire the advances in culture, technology, and
science.

We have been able to appreciate the political conscience of the Ukrainians
educated by the Communist Party. We have been able to admire the heroism of
this city which heroically bore the horrors of fascism without having its
spirit broken. We have been able to appreciate how you have rebuilt the
economy, the houses, the streets, factories, buildings from the ruins and
ashes which were left by the invaders. We have been able to get an idea of
what the Soviet Ukraine really is, of its people, of its party, its leading
cadre and administrative cadres. We have also been able to appreciate the
enormous advances of the city, its beauty, its progress, the metropolitan
railway, the hundreds of buildings under construction, its parks.
Everything we have seen has pleased us greatly.

We have many reasons for being grateful to you--the help we have received
from you, the technique, the experience in the organization of agriculture.
It is enough to say that the bread which we eat in our country--the bread
which the imperialists deny to our people--that bread is made with wheat
which you (sent us?).

I am not going to say more, since words can never truly express the
sentiments we feel. I only want to say that every visit we have paid to the
various regions of the USSR has increased our faith in the victory of
socialism and communism. A communism which is based on the mandate of man,
on this solidarity, is invincible. The communists will win. (Applause) With
all our heart we say: Long live the Ukraine! Long live proletarian
internationalism! Long live our friendship! Do svidaniya, Ukrainu! Goodbye,
Ukraine. (Applause)
-END-