The diplomat highlighted the historical ties between the two nations, which were consolidated with the Cuban participation in the defense of Angola’s sovereignty and territorial integrity since 1975, by request of the country’s first President Antonio Agostinho Neto.
Leon, who addressed the issue at a ceremony held at the monument dedicated to the National Hero on Tuesday, recalled the military aid provided for 15 years, with the participation of hundreds of thousands of Cuban combatants and internationalist collaborators.
Also the cooperation programs in several sectors, especially health and education, and the training of thousands of Angolan youths in the Caribbean nation.
The ambassador praised the visits by the Cuban government’s delegations to this country in the last two years, including those headed by the President, Prime Minister, and the Parliament President, reaffirming the prospects of expanding cooperation and both sides’ willingness to materialize them.
In the presence of Mara Quiosa, Vice President of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), Leon also commemorated the 66th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.
He commented that the event pays tribute to those who made the January 1, 1959, victory possible. The date of Cuban National Hero Jose Marti’s 172nd birthday, January 28, was chosen due to his legacy in the Cuban Revolution and his ideas that currently guide the Cuban patriots.
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