-DATE- 19720614 -YEAR- 1972 -DOCUMENT_TYPE- SPEECH -AUTHOR- F. CASTRO -HEADLINE- CASTRO VISITS WEST BERLIN BORDER -PLACE- BERLIN -SOURCE- EAST BERLIN ADN INTL SVC -REPORT_NBR- FBIS -REPORT_DATE- 19720614 -TEXT- Speaks to Troops East Berlin ADN International Service in German 2144 GMT 14 Jun 72 L [Text] Berlin--The indestructible class and arms comradeship of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces and the GDR's National People's Army was affirmed by the first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party Central Committee, Premier Fidel Castro, Wednesday evening at a meeting at the Nikolay Bezarin Barracks in Berlin. Soldiers and officers welcomed their distinguished guest with shouts acclaiming Cuban-German friendship, the joint anti-imperialist struggle and the indestructible fighting alliance with the Soviet Union. Major Fidel Castro made a speech interrupted frequently by applause and shouts of acclaim. Fidel Castro said: "Since we arrived in your country we have given much thought to and grasped the enormous difficulties placed in your path by imperialism as you develop your country. These difficulties created by imperialism around the GDR, these difficulties created by imperialism in the center of the GDR, are truly incredible. Thus, we can also fully grasp the problems, the difficulties and the hard struggle--the political and economic struggle, the struggle in the field of education and culture-which the people of the GDR must wage here in the first line of combat here at the border, in the face of the imperialist world." The statesman continued: "We have a territory in our country occupied by the United States. The United States has a naval base there. It is situated in the Oriente Province in the are a of Guantanamo. We also have a strong border brigade there. For years we have learned there the methods and provocations, the crimes of the imperialists. The Americans have always used this area for the subversive activity to carry out coups. For this reason we understand and appreciate the service you are performing here." Castro stressed: "It is very important to know that the people of the GDR have great confidence in you, that they are truly proud of you. The comrades of the party and the citizens of socialist Berlin have told us with great satisfaction about the activity of the border troops, speaking with great admiration for you and for your services. You are always facing the imperialist foe here. You always feel the presence of this enemy. Yet at the same time this is strengthening the soldiers, it makes them more experienced." Fidel Castro said to the border troops: "You are protecting the socialist community, here in the heart of Europe, at one of the focal points, at one of the most difficult places, in one of the most complicated situations, opposite a country which practices in order to build its economy, in order top develop, to overcome difficulties, a country which had a very difficult beginning, namely total destruction. With the help of the Soviet Union, which was also a theater of war and suffered tremendously, with the solidarity of the socialist countries you overcame difficulties in order to achieve what you have today." He said further: "What you have achieved is indeed a great political and a great revolutionary accomplishment. One can see it everywhere. One sees it in the new generation, one sees it in the schools, one sees it in the children, in the wonderful education which they have received. One sees it in the quality of the education. But primarily one senses the spirit behind it, the feeling of solidarity and the internationalist spirit. We have no doubt that a great political and revolutionary victory has been won in the GDR. "You have created the foundations for the future, a truly revolutionary state, a border state to whom the future belongs. You are the new generation, which will continue this work." -END-