The official welcome ceremony for the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, was held this morning in Áras an Uachtaráin, official residence of the President of Ireland, located in Phoenix Park, north of the capital.
During the ceremony, Cuba’s national anthem was heard, and Díaz-Canel spoke with children there, mentioning the existence in Cuba of a street that bears the name of an Irishman, and a plaque that was visited by their President reading: “Two island towns in the same sea of struggle and hopes.”
According to the Cuban President’s Twitter account, the reception featured several highlights, including the planting of an oak tree, a traditional Irish symbol of friendship.Díaz-Canel expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you very much for the warm welcome, the attention given during my stay and for the frank discussion we just held…
“Peace and independence have been precisely the principles that have guided the Cuban revolutionary process since 1868 and are still the principles we defend today.” he added.
“It is these principles which unite us to Ireland, a friendly people who, like Cuba, have been obliged to fight for their sovereignty.“We return to the green and patriotic Ireland, that of Che’s ancestors, the one that accompanied Felix Varela, the one described by Martí, the one that generated Fidel’s admiration.
“Let us toast today for peace and independence, for friendship between the peoples of Cuba and Ireland, so that we may always continue in the same sea of struggle and hope,” he said.
(Granma)