-DATE-
19740203
-YEAR-
1974
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
INTERVIEW
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
LEONID BREZHNEV VISIT
-PLACE-
CUBA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA IN SPANISH
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19740204
-TEXT-
CASTRO RELEASES NOTE ON LEONID BREZHNEV VISIT

Havana in Spanish to the Americas 1200 GMT 3 Feb 74 C

[Excerpt] Never in the history of a small country such as ours, a
relatively weak country, a country which has had to face a difficult
political struggle against a powerful enemy, never has a country under such
conditions received such proof of solidarity, such cooperation as Cuba has
received from the Soviet Union.

That statement was made by Fidel Castro, first secretary of the Cuban
Communist Party, and is part of an official note released last night after
the session of the talks held on the eve of the return to Moscow of the
general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party, Leonid Ilich Brezhnev. The
talks between the delegations of Cuba and the Soviet Union held at the
Palace of the Revolution here in Havana ended yesterday, Saturday, and a
joint communique was signed a short time later.

The session began with a brief statement from the top Cuban leader
regarding the transformations that have recently taken place in our
country. Fidel Castro explained the development of the structures of the
Communist Party and the Cuban state and the growth of the economy in our
country in the last 3 years, tying this into the strengthening of economic
control over productive activities and the concern over efficiency in the
use of resources. The statement said that Fidel Castro analyzed the Cuban
foreign policy positions and the expanded activity in this field during the
most recent period. Fidel Castro emphasized the special meaning of the
close bonds between Cuba and the USSR in this respect--between the parties,
governments and peoples--and the ties between Cuba and other socialist
countries.

The top Cuban leader expressed the confidence which our country's party and
government have in the strengthening of the revolution which is solidly
based on the people. He also referred to the influence and the hope which
Cuba has had among the people of Latin America. The official note said tat,
subsequently, Fidel Castro referred to the cooperation offered by the USSR
in the defense of Cuban independence, the revolutionary and the economic
growth of our country. Finally, the first secretary of the Cuban Communist
Party referred to the meaning of Leonid Brezhnev's visit to our country,
underscored the success of this visit and pointed out how the top Soviet
leader, already known by the Cubans for his reputation as a statesman and
communist leader, awakened in Cuba a deep human sympathy.
-END-