-DATE-
19720629
-YEAR-
1972
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
INTERVIEW
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO'S IMPRESSIONS OF MOSCOW
-PLACE-
MOSCOW
-SOURCE-
MOSCOW PRAVDA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19720603
-TEXT-
Castro's Impressions of Moscow

Moscow PRAVDA in Russian 29 Jun 72 p 1 L

[Excepts] Comrade Fidel Castro expressed interest in the methods of party
leadership in resolving political and economic tasks and educating working
people and in the organization of the labor and leisure of workers and
employees.

"For us," Fidel Castro said, "it was very interesting to learn how party
work is carried on in the Gagarinskiy rayon, what tasks the communists are
resolving, how cadres are trained, and how competition is developing. We
admire the rayon's labor rhythm. High labor enthusiasm is characteristic of
the whole of Moscow. Important changes have taken place in your capital
since our last visit to the USSR. Moscow is being transformed at swift
rates. We have seen the splendid Kalinin Avenue and new houses and
squares."

F. Castro then shared his impressions of the visit to the USSR Gosplan and
the tour round the exhibition of documents and photographs on V.I. Lenin's
life and work.

"Lenin is in the photographs. He is talking to workers and soldiers. This
did not happen so very long ago," F. Castro noted. "But how many marvelous
things have been made in the USSR! Gigantic power stations are now being
constructed in the Soviet Union; the USSR is the biggest producer of
petroleum, coal, and steel. Soviet people have made the atom serve mankind
and are conquering space. Industry is advancing at very swift rates. With
great excitement we looked down on photographs of the first years of Soviet
power from the heights of the present achievements of the Soviet people. I
think about the people who always looked forward--about the communists of
those years who were convinced of the profound rightness of their cause.

"We are proud," Fidel Castro stressed, "of the successes of the world's
first Soviet state. The experience of the CPSU is useful for us. In your
country we sense the fraternal sincere atmosphere and the firmness of
Soviet people's convictions and their high organization everywhere. The
moral strength of Soviet people and their revolutionary conviction have
made a great impression on us."

N.P. Tolubeyev, USSR ambassador to Cuba, L.A. Borisoy, Moscow gorkom
secretary, and O.B. Rakhmanin, CPSU Central Committee first deputy chief,
also took part in the talks.
-END-