-DATE- 19700725 -YEAR- 1970 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- SPEECH -AUTHOR- F. CASTRO -HEADLINE- WELCOMING OF TODOR ZHIVKOV -PLACE- JOSE MARTI AIRPORT - CUBA -SOURCE- HAVANA DOMESTIC RADIO -REPORT_NBR- FBIS -REPORT_DATE- 19700727 -TEXT- Fidel's Speech at Airport Havana Domestic Radio and Television Services in Spanish 1500 GMT 25 Jul 70 F [Statement by Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro at Havana's Jose Marti Airport welcoming Tudor Zhivkov--live] [Text] Comrade Todor Zhivkov, first secretary of the Bulgarian Communist Party and Premier of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, comrades of the delegation, comrades of the diplomatic corps, comrades of the Central Committee, Bulgarian and Cuban comrades: Our country receives the visit of this high-level delegation led by the first secretary of the Bulgarian Party and premier of that fraternal nation on the occasion of this 26 of July anniversary with extraordinary joy and considers it a special honor. Apparently favorable winds aided the flight of the Bulgarian delegation so that it arrived a little more than an hour early, while this created a few protocolary difficulties, we were very pleased to learn that they were arriving and were going to sojourn an extra hour in our country. That is why, while the others scheduled to receive the delegation were on their way, we changed the rules a little ourselves and went aboard the aircraft, and then together with Comrade Dorticos and other Cuban comrades, had an opportunity to give Comrade Zhivkov and the other Bulgarian comrades a first embrace and converse fraternally with them for almost three-quarters of an hour. Moreover, we also had the privilege of arriving here with them for this ceremony, as we also alighted from the plane, but we should like to note that we did not travel from Rabat. Sincerely, since the victory of our revolution, relations with the Bulgarian people have been developing constantly. Our country, which is carrying out its revolutionary movement in the face of a powerful enemy very close to our shores, has had the solidarity of the socialist camp from the very beginning. Among the countries of the socialist camp, together with the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of Bulgaria was among the first to encourage us and to give us its fraternal cooperation. Thousands of Bulgarian technicians have worked in our country in all spheres of activity. Prominent physicians have been professors in our hospitals. They have written books that have served as texts for our students, and have contributed to the preservation of many lives. They have worked in the hydraulic projects, in the construction of reservoirs and irrigation dams in our country. Hundreds of them have worked and are working in the construction of highways and in almost every branch of the industries of education, [as heard] and eminent and well qualified Bulgarian technicians are present in practically every sphere of endeavor. This cooperation is tightening the bonds of friendship, and actually the relations between Bulgarians and Cubans have always been very fraternal. There is an affinity between our characters. Comrade Zhivkov has already pointed this out. There is a great similarity, not only in our natures but in our disposition, ideology, and history, because for centuries the Bulgarian people fought for their independence and always fought courageously. Our people also fought for a long time for their independence. Moreover, we know and admire the Bulgarian people because of their heroic struggle and participation in the liquidation of fascism. It is a country which was obliged to endure the fascist hordes and which fought courageously. It is a country which resorted to guerrilla warfare. Comrade Zhivkov was a prominent leader of the guerrilla movement in Bulgaria. They fought courageously for independence and for the socialist revolution. The Bulgarian communists and the Bulgarian people, educated in the glorious internationalist tradition and inspired by the example of Georgi Dimitrov, who is know to and admired by all of us, have always pursued this policy of solidarity with the people fighting for their liberation and fighting for the cause of socialism. Thus, there is in our hearts a profound feeling of admiration, of friendship for and gratitude toward the Bulgarian people. We also admire the people. That is why it is with all their hearts that our people give them a fraternal embrace, offer them their warm hospitality, and cherish the high honor of being able to celebrate this 17th anniversary in their company. Welcome, Bulgrian brothers. [applause] -END-