According to the President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace, the program series features four main activities: the photo exhibition “President Ho Chi Minh - Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro: United by shared convictions, bound by enduring friendship”; the thematic exhibition “President Ho Chi Minh and Cuba”; a ceremony to receive documentary materials donated by the Embassy of Cuba in Vietnam; and the introduction of publications on President Ho Chi Minh and Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro.

Le Thi Phuong, Director of the President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace, receives a portrait of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro from Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, Ambassador of Cuba to Vietnam. (Photo: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Portal)

The photo exhibition presents 100 valuable archival photographs to domestic and international visitors, portraying the lives, careers, and contributions of the two leaders. It retraces the steadfast historical journey shared by the two nations while highlighting the achievements of bilateral cooperation.

The exhibition is organized into four sections: A shared revolutionary ideal; President Ho Chi Minh - Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro: An enduring friendship; Carrying forward the legacy of Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro; and the Presidential Palace Relic Site - A place where Vietnam-Cuba friendship is preserved and promoted.

The thematic exhibition “President Ho Chi Minh and Cuba” showcases documents and artifacts that reflect President Ho Chi Minh's affection for Cuba, helping illustrate the strong historical foundation of the friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba.

As part of the event, the President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace received two documentary films and a collection of archival photographs donated by the Embassy of Cuba in Vietnam. These materials will enrich the archive on Vietnam-Cuba relations and support future research, exhibitions, and public education activities.

The organizing committee also introduced a wide range of publications on President Ho Chi Minh, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, and the special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba.

International visitors tour the exhibition. (Photo: President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace)

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hoang Dao Cuong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the commemoration of the 100th birth anniversary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro provides an opportunity to honor the outstanding leader of the Cuban Revolution, a great friend and close comrade of the Vietnamese people. He noted that in Fidel Castro's noble revolutionary ideals, the Vietnamese people have always recognized values that resonate with President Ho Chi Minh's thought, patriotism, and profound devotion to the people. Fidel Castro's unwavering determination, steadfast leadership, and noble internationalist spirit have become an enduring symbol for generations of Vietnamese people.

According to Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong, the program series once again underscores the role of cultural diplomacy in strengthening mutual trust, deepening the fraternal solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba, and conveying to both domestic and international audiences the life, career, ideals, and noble character of President Ho Chi Minh and Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro. Building on the foundation of friendship established over the past 66 years, the two countries will continue to expand cooperation and write new chapters in the solidarity, friendship, and mutual trust between the two fraternal socialist nations.

Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, Ambassador of Cuba to Vietnam, said that the activities marking the 100th birth anniversary of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz in Vietnam stand as vivid testimony to the special friendship, traditional solidarity, and exemplary relationship that the two countries have carefully nurtured together. They also reflect the profound respect and sincere affection that generations of Vietnamese people have consistently shown toward the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution.

The Ambassador expressed his hope that, through this meaningful series of activities, future generations of Cubans and Vietnamese will continue to preserve and strengthen the friendship established by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro and President Ho Chi Minh - a profound bond encapsulated in President Ho Chi Minh's well-known words: “Although Vietnam and Cuba are separated by tens of thousands of miles, the hearts of our two peoples are as close as those of brothers in one family.”

According to Le Thi Phuong, Director of the President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace, history has witnessed not only landmark meetings between great revolutionary leaders but also extraordinary friendships that flourished even without a face-to-face encounter. President Ho Chi Minh and Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro exemplify such a relationship. Though separated by half the globe and never having met in person, the two great leaders found common ground in their shared ideals, aspirations for national independence and freedom, deep patriotism, and unwavering faith in the strength of the people. It was this convergence of ideals that laid the solid foundation for the traditional friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba.

Memories of Mother Melba For many generations of Vietnamese who lived, studied, and worked in Cuba, revolutionary heroine Melba Hernández was also “Mami Melba” - a woman who called them her children, cared for them with warmth, and held a profound affection for Vietnam. The stories shared at a memorial ceremony in Hanoi on July 24, marking the 105th anniversary of her birth, brought to life the image of a kind and devoted Mother Melba whose legacy has endured across generations.

Fidel Castro's Legacy and Enduring Strength of Vietnam-Cuba Solidarity On August 3 in Hanoi, the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics held a ministerial-level scientific seminar titled “Comrade Fidel Castro - Great leader of the Cuban revolution, resolute internationalist, and great friend of the Vietnamese people” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of President Fidel Castro Ruz (August 13, 1926 - August 13, 2026).