On behalf of the Cuban people and government, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, went this Saturday morning to the residence of the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Havana to express condolences for the death of the Iranian President, Dr. Ayatollah Sayed Ebrahim Raisi, and his companions in the plane crash.
In a solemn atmosphere, the president wrote a message to the people and leadership of the Persian country in the book of condolences, in a moment that he described as profound sadness. In front of the portraits of his counterpart Sayed Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, who died in the accident on May 19, Díaz-Canel expressed his condolences and solidarity to family and friends.
The Cuban Head of State stated that he will always remember the sincere friendship shared with Raisi in fruitful meetings, in which they mutually expressed the common interest in advancing the development of both nations and confronting injustice in the world.
The brother Iranian people and their leadership can count on the support of Cuba, he added. «We know that they will find the strength to defend the great dreams of national, regional and international peace and prosperity, to which President Raisi dedicated his life. “His legacy and the sense of his sacrifice in serving his people will endure forever,” he closed the message.
After signing the book, the ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Cuba, Seyed Mohammad HadiSobbani, thanked President Díaz-Canel for the gesture of having the main Cuban authorities come directly to express their condolences, in addition to declaring national mourning. Regarding these samples, he noted that “the expression of his and all the Cuban people’s condolences at this very difficult time fills his heart with joy.”
The diplomat recalled that the visits of President Raisi to the Caribbean island in June 2023 and that of the Cuban dignitary to Tehran, in December of the same year, strengthened ties and created a stronger friendship between both nations. “Although we have lost two great personalities, two great friends of Cuba who supported the consolidation of relations between the two countries, I can assure you that the policies of our country with respect to Cuba are immovable, they will not change.” .
Later he stated: “in addition to the will of the authorities of our country, the main message of the Islamic Revolution in Iran is the struggle and support for countries that battle against oppression.”
With deep regret in his voice, the Cuban Head of State expressed to the Iranian ambassador in Cuba: “We have lost a great friend.” Next in the conversation he recalled the exchanges he had with his Iranian counterpart, and the visit to the Persian Gulf country where he could feel the affection of the people and the commitment of the authorities to the Cuban Revolution. “I will never forget – he noted – the sincere and warm meeting with the Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, nor the meetings of friendship and brotherhood with President Raisi.”
We are two nations – he added – that face sanctions, blockades and interference in our internal affairs, therefore we share the fight against imperialism.
