-DATE-
19720703
-YEAR-
1972
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
SPEECH
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
RECEPTION IN THE CUBAN EMBASSY
-PLACE-
MOSCOW
-SOURCE-
MOSCOW TASS INTL SVC
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19720505
-TEXT-
Castro Speech at Reception

Moscow TASS International Service in English 2014 GMT 3 Jul 72 L

[Text] Moscow July 3 TASS--Follows the text of Fidel Castro's speech at a
reception in the Cuban Embassy.

Dear comrades members of the Political Bureau of the CPSU Central Committee
and candidate members of the Political Bureau of the CPSU Central
Committee.

Dear comrades secretaries of the CPSU Central Committee,

Dear comrades members of the CPSU Central Committee and the Soviet
Government,

Dear Soviet and Cuban comrades,

Dear guests,

We are close to completing our visit to the Soviet Union and, consequently,
to completing our lengthy tour of friendly countries of Africa and of
socialist camp countries.

The meetings with the leaders and peoples of countries which we visited
have very enriched our knowledge, and expanded and strengthened our
relations. Our people is expanding and developing the international ties
with countries which recently freed themselves from colonialism and
imperialist domination, with its brothers from the socialist camp and
especially with the great people of the Soviet Union.

Never, in no other epoch in mankind's history, have their existed such
favorable conditions for the struggle of oppressed countries for winning
and consolidating their independence, for improving living conditions and
for social development. Cuba, situated only a few miles from the strongest
imperialist power, is an example of this.

The existence of the Soviet Union, the selfless labor of its people, its
heroic victory over fascism and its military and economic might which made
possible the emergence, consolidation and defense of the socialist
community, the changes in the alignment of forces in the world arena and a
huge upsurge of the liberation movement in the whole world were the
necessary precondition for the Cuban revolution.

But in the struggle now conducted by the peoples for their national
liberation and consolidation of independence, for economic development, a
prime role is played by revolutionary ideology, by the internal social
transformations and principled internationalist policy.

The above mentioned factors were decisive for the Cuban revolution. In the
invincible force of international solidarity based on close fraternal
relations with the Soviet Union and the socialist camp, in the firm and
unswerving implementation of the principles of Marxism-Leninism, in the
liquidation of all forms of exploitation of man by man, in the firm and
resolute anti-imperialist position--in all this Cuba, found moral and
material strength for victory in the political and ideological fields, in
its struggle against economic blockade, against the subversive and
aggressive actions of American imperialism.

For us national independence is inseparably connected with social
revolution and the consistent implementation of principles of
Marxism-Leninism and proletarian internationalism.

Not a single country, divided into the exploiters and the exploited,
possesses sufficient strength and cohesion to oppose the subversive and
aggressive actions of imperialists.] Not a single country in which
liberal-bourgeois ideological concepts reign, a country not possessing the
great force of conviction and heroism awakened in the masses by the
proletariat's revolutionary doctrine, can win in ideological struggle
against the imperialists. Not a single country which does not rely on
international solidarity and does not unite its forces with the world
revolutionary movement can defend itself from blows by imperialism. Not a
single country which does not rebuff imperialism and its neocolonialist,
exploiter, aggressive and reactionary policy can score victory in struggle.

Pseudorevolution and national pseudoindependence can acquire most diverse
forms,but in our epoch genuine revolution and genuine national independence
can be based only on socialist, anti-imperialist, internationalist
principles.

Although these principles are implemented depending on the specific
conditions of each country, on the level of development of revolutionary
forces and the political consciousness of the people, they are universal.
Precisely in such conditions our party and our people accomplished the
revolution.

It is in vain that in the course of 12 years the American imperialists
constantly demanded of us a rupture of our ties with the Soviet Union. It
is in vain that they demanded with similar persistence our renunciation of
solidarity with the world revolutionary movement as a preliminary condition
for the recognition of the fact of revolutionary Cuba's existence.

Our people will never agree to these or similar concessions running counter
to our principles, our loyalty and gratitude to the Soviet Union.

Life itself confirmed the absolute correctness of this line of the Cuban
revolution. Our people's revolutionary consciousness is growing with every
day. The deceit, lies and illusions of th capitalist society will not make
our revolution retreat even a step. In our country there is no place for
narrow-minded nationalism or chauvinism, no place for opportunism,
neutralism and revisionism, and nobody will succeed in dragging the
capitalist ideology into our country.

The natural and already historical relations between the glorious people
that accomplished the world's first socialist revolution and a small
country that accomplished the first socialist revolution in the American
continent are strengthening and developing further with every day. They
have become a symbol and embodiment of the new epoch in the life of the
peoples.

This visit by the party and government delegation of Cuba to the USSR, our
meetings with Comrade L.I. Brezhnev, with Comrade N.V. Podgornyy and with
Comrade A.N. Kosygin and other members of the Political Bureau of the CPSU
Central Committee and the Soviet Government, with the lofty and heroic
Soviet people strengthened our friendship.

Our firm trust in the principled policy of the Soviet Union has further
strengthened. Mutual understanding and coincidence of views on the main
questions of the revolutionary movement and international situation were
confirmed during our extensive exchange of views.

Both our parties and peoples fully solidarize [as received] as regards the
need of giving political, moral and material support to the heroic people
of Vietnam.

We were pleased to see the wonderful atmosphere in which Soviet communists
and the entire people, the party and its leadership work. During visits to
the space township, to enterprises and the atomic power station in
Voronezh, we saw the gigantic achievements of Soviet science and technology
which will enable numerous branches of industry to advance to the foremost
positions.

Moscow, we think, has changed very much in these eight years. At the
Ukhtomskiy plant, which we visited, workers and technicians are already
building the first 50 modern combines for cutting sugarcane in Cuba. The
Soviet people's achievements in all fields are impressive. Not a single
human society has ever accomplished within such a short period of time such
revolutionary exploits, has not accomplished such social, economic and
technical transformations as has the Soviet people done since the glorious
October day when Lenin led the Bolshevik party to power.

Reflected in the strength of spirit of the Soviet people, in its high
revolutionary consciousness and culture, in its profound internationalism
are its own history and the annal which it wrote during these years.

We are deeply moved by the immense love o the people and communists of the
Soviet Union, of Soviet leaders for revolutionary Cuba. And our gratitude
for the Soviet people's fraternal aid and solidarity is becoming ever
deeper. The ties that are thus formed and which develop on the basis of
principles, of history, of the purest and most unselfish feelings of the
peoples are inviolable and eternal. And we propose today a toast to all
this, to the Soviet Union, its Leninist party, its heroic people, the
inviolable and eternal friendship, to Comrade Brezhnev, to Comrade
Podgornyy, to Comrade Kosygin, to members of the Political Bureau of the
CPSU Central Committee, to the Central Committee of the CPSU and members of
the Soviet Government!
-END-