National Day Message by H. E. Mrs. Caridad Yamira Cueto Milián, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba to the Republic of Bulgaria

Dear friends of Cuba in Bulgaria,

January 1st marks the National Day of Cuba, which is known as the Day of the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution of 1959. In 2022, Cuba celebrates the 63rd anniversary of historical event that changed, forever, the destiny of the Cuban nation.

Gone is 2021- a year of hard learning, difficult from its very inception, a year that put to the test in a thousand ways the ability of human beings worldwide to reinvent themselves and to take on day-to-day life in the face of a persistent pandemic.

For Cubans, 2021 was a year of great challenges, but also of great victories. With discipline and optimism we managed to stop the advance of COVID-19, and using our own vaccines, very Cuban! In parallel with the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba faced the great challenge of the economic recovery, in full awareness that it will be sustainable over time only if we manage to take advantage of all that has been transformed, in search of greater efficiency, of a better, fairer, more prosperous and truly sustainable society, in which no one is left behind.

Throughout more than 60 years the Cuban people have been resisting an aggressive and obsolete blockade, which has severe extraterritorial effects. But in the last two years, any adjective would be insufficient to qualify the atrocious combination of the double pandemic suffered by our people: the reinforced blockade imposed by the United States of America and the COVID-19.

In the midst of all our efforts and resistance, the detractors of Cuba's example and optimism did not relent in their efforts to silence our achievements. They even wanted to dye our streets red, steal our peace, and incite violence. They did not succeed, because they ignore that what makes us strong are the ties that identify us as a people and as a nation!

Cuba lives and breathes! And the key to our victory has been and continues to be the unity of the Cuban people. Unity is our main conquest and stronghold.

Cuba lives and will live! Cuba ratifies the will to continue developing its international relations, in defense of peace, advocating for the respect, protection and promotion of all human rights for all, including the right to life and health, favoring the protection of the environment, encouraging the promotion of free trade, calling for the unity and integration of Latin America.

In the spirit of the traditionally friendly relations that have always existed between the peoples of Cuba and Bulgaria, based on mutual respect, we continue to strengthen the political dialogue between our two countries, reinforcing our fruitful collaboration and exchanges in different international organizations and forums, deepening bilateral trade and economic relations, invigorating educational and cultural ties, and promoting the rich cultural heritage of our two countries.

Sport also unites us and identifies Cuba and Bulgaria as two countries with a long and rich history of cooperation ties in this and many other spheres.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba continues to be a safe tourist destination for thousands of Bulgarian citizens who travel to our country attracted by our history and nature, but above all, by the hospitality of Cubans.

Cuban medicine continues to be a world reference, and is also an effective promoter of collaboration links between institutions of Cuba and Bulgaria. The Embassy of Cuba in Sofia sends special greetings to the more than 35 000 Cuban doctors and health professionals who, in times of pandemic, are offering their solidarity help in more than 50 nations of the world.

Cuba reaffirms its will to continue strengthening ties with its nationals abroad. Kind regards from the Embassy of Cuba in Bulgaria to all Cubans residents in Bulgaria and to their families.

A message of respect and friendship from the Embassy of Cuba in Bulgaria reaches all friends of Cuba in this country, and in this context I would like to praise the efforts of the Bulgaria-Cuba Friendship Association to preserve and deepen the values of friendship and solidarity that have characterized the relations between our two countries for more than 60 years.

A message of respect and friendship from Cuba also reaches the government and all official Bulgarian authorities.

Happy 2022 with lots of health and success for all!

 

The photo is provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba to the Republic of Bulgaria. On it: H. E. Mrs. Caridad Yamira Cueto Milián, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba in the Republic of Bulgaria