-DATE-
19720706
-YEAR-
1972
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
MESSAGE
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
DEPARTURE FROM USSR
-PLACE-
MOSCOW
-SOURCE-
MOSCOW TASS INTERNATIONA
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19720707
-TEXT-
REPORTAGE ON FIDEL CASTRO'S VISIT TO USSR

Castro's Departure Message

Moscow TASS International Service in Russia 2115 GMT 6 Jul 72 L

[Text] Moscow, 6 July--The following is the text of Fidel Castro's message
to Leonid Brezhnev, Nikolay Podgornyy and Aleksey Kosygin which he
addressed to them before he left by air from the USSR:

"Dear comrades, before returning home after a lengthy tour of friendly
countries of Africa and the European socialist countries, which ended in
the USSR, I want to express on behalf of our delegation heart-felt
gratitude to the Soviet party, government and people for giving us a warm,
friendly and fraternal welcome.

"This visit to the Soviet Union enabled us to strengthen even further the
unbreakable bonds of revolutionary solidarity between us. It enabled us to
effect a wide and frank exchange of opinions on the basic problems of the
revolutionary movement and the international situation, and also to
ascertain the unity of views of the Communist Party of Cuba and the CPSU on
the questions indicated.

We carry away in our hearts the feelings of love, sympathy and respect the
great Soviet people have for the Cuban revolution and our people, which was
shown every minute everywhere during our visit: in Moscow, in the Stella
township, Voronezh, the Ukhtomskiy works, etc.

These feelings are the expression of the friendship which has strengthened
in the 13 years since the victory of the Cuban revolution on the basis of
the joint struggle against imperialism, on the basis of internationalist
and revolutionary principles and the nobility of the Soviet people and the
party of Lenin.

"The great achievements of the Soviet people in the political economic,
social, scientific-technical and military fields are unprecedented in the
history of mankind. Thanks to these achievements of the USSR has not only
been transformed into a mighty socialist state with a high level of
development, but has become the most reliable bulwark of the world
revolutionary movement, the socialist camp and the peoples fighting against
imperialism.

"Our firm faith in the USSR's principled policy has strengthened. The bonds
of friendship and solidarity which unite our peoples, parties and
governments are unbreakable because they are based on the purest
revolutionary feelings, on history that unites us, and on the teaching of
Marxism-Leninism.

"Accept our most fraternal greetings and assurances that the USSR and the
CPSU will continue to have in the Cuban revolution and in our people a
stanch, faithful and sincere comrade in the struggle, no matter what the
circumstances may be."
-END-