Lati Group, owned by Yossi Lati and the fashion company Renuar, launched its new residential project “Lati Kadima” in Kadima-Zoran this week - and has already achieved overwhelming success. At the launch event, around 80 apartments were sold under the government’s target price program and an additional 6 on the open market. As of now, only 20 units remain for sale - all of them spacious garden apartments and penthouses, designed for families seeking a high-quality lifestyle in a refined and intimate residential setting.
The project consists of 120 apartments spread across 12 boutique buildings, each three stories high, built over six plots. The planning was entrusted to the award-winning architecture firm A.B. Architects and includes stylish lobbies, high-quality finishes, and a strong emphasis on privacy for each unit.
The development is located near parks, playgrounds, and sports fields, with quick access to Highway 4 and planned proximity to schools and kindergartens. The apartment sizes are around 150 square meters, with balconies or gardens ranging from 90 to 200 square meters. The company notes that the apartments have been designed to provide the ultimate living experience, with an emphasis on comfort, privacy, and modern design.
''Lati Kadima'' Project (credit: Renderings by Albi)
Construction is expected to last about three years, with prices starting at NIS 5.5 million. Lati Group, active for over 20 years, is a G-5 classified (unlimited) contracting company with experience in building thousands of housing units and commercial centers across the country, including in areas such as the Krayot, Akko, Or Yam, Netanya, and Eilat.
Yossi Lati, CEO and Owner: “The enthusiastic response at the launch event only confirmed what we already knew - ‘Lati Kadima’ is a sought-after project that brings a new level of quality of life to the heart of the Sharon region. Only 20 apartments remain - this is a real opportunity.”
Raw papaya can help reduce uric acid levels and relieve joint pain.(photo credit: Albi) Vitamin A, also abundant in papaya, is essential for the proper functioning of the body's natural defenses. It plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy vision and may help prevent age-related macular degeneration. Carotenoids and flavonoids, other components found in papaya, possess anti-inflammatory properties that contribute to overall health and wellness. The enzyme papain, contained in papaya, aids in breaking down proteins and facilitates digestion, which is particularly beneficial for those suffering from constipation. Consuming papaya can prepare the digestive system to receive nutrients more effectively. 'Papain not only helps in digestion but also helps in breaking down and eliminating uric acid,' reports Jansatta. For individuals dealing with high uric acid levels, raw papaya can be especially helpful. It provides relief from joint pain and swelling and assists in gradually dissolving uric acid crystals due to its alkaline nature. Some studies found that papaya has a hypoglycemic effect on the body, decreasing blood glucose levels. 'This property of papaya could be advantageous for individuals managing blood sugar levels,' explains Everyday Health. 'The consumption of beta-carotene, an antioxidant also found in papaya, can reduce the risk of cancer. Among younger men, diets rich in beta-carotene may have a protective function against prostate cancer, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Biomarkers,' states Medical News Today. Papaya is low in calories and rich in fiber, making it an ideal choice for those aiming to lose weight. Its combination of vitamins, potassium, and fiber contributes to heart health, potentially helping to prevent heart diseases, which are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Furthermore, due to its vitamin A content—a nutrient necessary for the production of sebum that keeps hair hydrated—papaya may help improve hair health. Enthusiasts often recommend eating papaya in the morning on an empty stomach to maximize its health benefits. Consuming it before other foods allows papain to prepare the digestive system for better nutrient absorption. Regular consumption of papaya enhances digestion and contributes to overall well-being. It is important to note that individuals with a latex allergy may also be allergic to papaya because it contains enzymes called chitinases. As with any dietary changes, it is advisable to consult with a healthcare professional, especially for those with existing health conditions or concerns. Papaya's versatility adds to its appeal. It can be enjoyed raw, blended into smoothies, or added to salads, bringing both flavor and health benefits to the table. Its nutritional richness and delightful taste make papaya more than just a fruit—it is a valuable addition to a healthy and balanced diet.
Fast-forward to the present day as you look around. We truly have so much to be thankful for, and we should be so grateful that we’ve been given the privilege to live here. But more than ever before, we seem to be missing this very important message. How often are you spared from danger, bad things or misfortune, and all the while you may be neither aware nor appreciating it? Whether it is the food you eat without choking, the car ride you take without injury, or the decision you make to do or not do something that inadvertently turns out to be the wise choice, these things in themselves are little miracles. And since COVID, the war, and everything else, despite our deep pain – and there is plenty – we have been blessed with so much. How are we meant to show our gratitude? What is our role in all of this?
An illustrative image of a note saying 'Today I Am Grateful.' (credit: Albi)
Having awareness of, and being thankful for, all that you have can change your entire outlook on life. For those making a small blessing over food, for example, it can give them a moment in which to pause, take notice, and have greater appreciation for the food they put in their mouth.
Thanking someone for a good deed or actually doing a good deed yourself for someone else’s benefit requires going out of your way – taking a detour. It may require an investment of time, often goes against an “I want it now” immediate gratification philosophy, and takes you off course if you’re feeling pressured and focusing on your individual success. Or does it?
Perhaps what you may not have seen is how a totally different approach to life may be exactly what will lead to greater fulfillment. It may just have enabled you to be in the right place at the right time. Perhaps the goal isn’t in successfully “getting there,” but instead it is the act of going there or “living life” that makes us successful. If we travel with the right set of values, every step of the journey has potential to be wonderful, and the end destination may be less important.
Focusing on someone else and not on yourself may be the very thing you are meant to be doing because you play such an integral role in helping to make our wonderful country even better. Look around and see how much people are doing for others, and you, too, will see the everyday miracles. Only when we learn to work together will we fully appreciate what the lessons are that we are meant to learn.
Here are some suggestions to help you create your own miracles:
1. Let go of things. Decide when it is time to move on and not hold a grudge.
2. Anger gets in the way of forgiveness and your ultimate happiness. Slow down. Take a step back and not forward when you get angry. Count to 10, breathe.
3. Choose to see the cup as half full instead of half empty. See each drop put in as a blessing.
4. Be happy with yourself for what you have, and don’t dwell on what you don’t have. Being rich is in the eye of the beholder. You can feel like a billionaire; all you have to do is look around.
5. Smile. If outwardly you can be happy, then your inside will begin to radiate with joy as well. Smiles are contagious, and those around you will want to be with you and experience your joy.
6. Don’t wait to appreciate things. Seize the moment. It might not come again. Change “I will be happy when...” to “I am happy now because I am grateful for...”
7. Say “Thank you” for even the smallest things. See how your world can change as a result. Notice and appreciate each other and each moment as you go through your day.
8. Appreciate all that nature has given you for free.
9. Never think that what you were given was not enough and look for more. Let go of expectations. Be grateful for everything you have.
"The research confirms that reducing sitting time may be a promising strategy for preventing deterioration of neurological functions and the cognitive decline resulting from it," said the head of the research team from Vanderbilt University, according to Sky News. This statement underscores the study's implication that merely adhering to recommended exercise guidelines may not be sufficient to protect against the negative effects of prolonged sitting.
Neuroscientist Marissa Gogniat from the University of Pittsburgh also emphasized the importance of minimizing sedentary behavior. "Reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease is not just about exercising once a day," she stated, according to Scienze Notizie. Gogniat noted that decreasing the amount of time spent sitting is crucial for lowering the risk of cognitive decline associated with aging.
The findings challenge the common belief that physical activity can fully offset the detrimental impacts of extended sitting periods. Instead, the research suggests that prolonged sedentary behavior is an independent risk factor for brain deterioration. Volunteers who sat more exhibited more pronounced neural atrophy, including faster reductions in hippocampal thickness, regardless of their levels of physical exercise.
Previous studies have linked excessive sitting to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. This new research adds neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease to the list of health concerns associated with a sedentary lifestyle. According to Vice News, "This brain shrinkage occurs even in individuals who engage in physical exercise for the duration recommended by specialists."
“Integration” vs. “Separation”: Which Way Should We Go?” For some of us, the word “integration” conjures up a lot of the pictures of the “1960s” when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and so many of our Black leaders and a host of young men and women went into the streets and marched for integration of public places such as restaurants, hotels, motels, rest rooms, etc.;
Marching and suffering for a “Voting Rights” Bill because these wonderful brothers and sisters and these well-meaning leaders of our people felt that it was time that Black people share in “The Promise” of America.
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That “promise” being “liberty and justice for all,” “a piece of the economic pie”; that “promise” being “full-fledge citizenship” with all of the rights and privileges of that citizenship.
On the other hand, there was the principle teacher of “separation,” the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
We know that before the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, the great and Honorable Marcus Garvey advocated separation. We know that Noble Drew Ali also spoke of separation. We know that the Communist Party back in the 1920s and 1930s also advocated separation.
Although decades have gone by since the principle advocate of separation stood up, the issue of “separation” became a great issue when President Abraham Lincoln was on the scene, and other presidents after him, where there was this constant battle of
1) “Should the descendants of African slaves in America stay, and we become a part of the American way of life?” or 2) “Should we, as Black people, leave and return to our own self, our own kind, our own people and become an independent nation?”
Today, we have to look at the “Integration” and “Segregation,” and behind these words discover meaning, and behind the meaning discover the intent of the parties who are advocating either way.
If the intent of the Government in advocating integration is to trick us into believing that our 400-year-old enemy has now become our “friend,” and that we should forgive and forget and be glad to take part in this great American way of life, then the intent is evil. So the result of such evil intent can never bring justice to a people who are aggrieved.
We now have to know not just the word and what it means, but we have to analyze the motivation as best we can of the United States government in advocating integration for Blacks.
Then, we have to look at the practicality of “integration” or “separation”—which will work? And if integration will work, how? If separation will work, how? And then let’s come to an equitable agreement on what we shall do.
Integration, many times forced under armed guard, (right photo) decimated Black institutions in America. Photos: MGN Online
Understanding ‘segregation’, ‘separation’ and ‘integration’
What is “segregation”? When people criticized the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, they said “Oh, that man wants segregation!”—but what does it mean?
Segregation is “separation of an inferior by a superior.” In the house where we grew up, mother and father told us which entrance to come in, do you remember? That is, if we had two entrances to our door or house; sometimes it was only one, and you had to come in there.
But if mother fixed her living room up real pretty and didn’t want you messing it up, she would tell you before she went to work: “Don’t go in that living room”—these are orders from your superior; and if you venture into that living room with your company, “You’re going to get it when I come home.
In fact, I don’t want you having any company in my house when I’m gone! Do you understand?” And you always said, “Yes, yes, I understand Mom/Dad.” That’s “segregation,” which is enforced on by “superiors.”
The condition that you are in here in America is definitely an inferior one, right? You don’t have any money, you haven’t made a way for yourself, you’re not bringing any food in the house, so “mother” has the right to tell you when to come, when to go and what room you are going to stay in.
And if you “act up”: “Go to your room and stay there.” That’s “segregation,” brothers and sisters. Mr. Muhammad couldn’t be advocating that! That is what White people set up in order to set themselves apart from you and me.
They were in the superior position while we were in the inferior position, so they set us apart: “You go over there, you live on that side of the tracks and you’d better not cross over.”
This is the way it’s been, and every time we moved we’ve had to pay a price for disobeying the unwritten rule of a man who thinks he’s superior that he put on a people that he has relegated to an inferior position. So we understand “segregation.”
The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad
Now, “separation” is a little different from “segregation”. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad has said to us that separation is a voluntary act done by two equals who realize that they cannot get along in peace, so they come to a decision that it is “best for us to separate: You go your way, I’ll go mine.”
And within the word “integrate” is the word integer which, in Mathematics, is a term that means “something that is whole; a whole number.”
The reason you call a whole number an “integer” is because that which is now “whole” at one time was a fraction; so when you bring a fraction into a whole number, you have brought it from a part to a whole and you call that whole an “integer.”
The word “integrate” or “integration” conveys a similar meaning: “People who are separate, we want to make them whole, so we develop a policy that will bring them together.”
While in Mathematics it is the process of finding the “least common denominator” to bring a fraction into a whole number, in politics you evolve a policy—which is really a “strategy”—to bring dissimilar things together into a whole.
The Strategy of those who want to continue Oppression
Notice that I said “integration in politics” is a policy which indicates a “strategy.”
America is considered “the melting pot” of the world, right? The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor has on it, “… Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” This is really not talking to the world at large; it’s talking to Europe because “The Golden Door” means that America is to represent “heaven” for European refugees.
America has been a land of opportunity for Italian, Greek, Polish, Irish and Russian immigrants, is that right? For Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians; for Spaniards, Portuguese, French and Dutch people. …
They all have come to America, and the policy, the strategy, of the United States government is to minimize their cultural heritage back in Europe and to maximize an “American heritage” so that they could be integrated into the fabric of what is called “American Society.”
Though they say “Anglo-American,” “Italian-American,” “Greek-American,” “Polish-American,” or “this American, that American,” they all feel more akin to America than they do to the land that they are refuges from, and this means that they have successfully been integrated into “American society.”
So, the policy (strategy) of the United States government has worked for all Caucasians; these that have been integrated into American society are of the same racial strain, but of different ethnic backgrounds (some a little darker, some a little lighter; some a little blond, some a little brunette, but they’re all the same people).
But here is another “ingredient”… When it comes to “Asiatic” or “African” people, you’ve got something different now that has entered into this “American society.” But to this very day, the Chinese are not integrated, the Japanese are not integrated—and they don’t ask for it.
They run their own “China Town,” their own “Japanese Town,” would you agree? Their own politics run their neighborhoods, and they have their own separate economy inside the main American economy. Everybody makes their way, because they understand something that you have yet to understand.
They understand that they don’t have to be White to get out of the American economy. Their unity, their intelligence and their skill will enable them to get support for their own separate identity and their separate community yet within the body politics of the United States.
Due to faulty leadership, you and I have not yet realized that we can maximize our own strength in America and yet be separate from America and grow powerful. We feel that the only way to be successful is to “get in” with White folks, be like White folks!
Do what pleases White folks: Laugh for them, dance for them! Give your woman to them! Send your sons and daughters off to fight for them! You haven’t realized how to maximize your own strength in your own vital numbers.
But White people know your potential power, and they have said: “We cannot afford segregation anymore because the n- – – -rs aren’t going to take it. They are too militant now for us to tell them where to go, how to go, when to go. So we’ve got to abandon this as a strategy, as a policy.
We cannot afford to grant them separation and let them build a nation of their own. Even though they are big enough to have a nation, we can’t let them do this because if they become an independent nation, and join the community of nations and look out in the world market for help from other nations to help them get up on their feet, pretty soon they may join on to our enemies and come against us because they may remember what our fathers did to their fathers. So we cannot let them go….
We must not ever let ‘Negroes,’ ‘nrs’ or ‘Colored people’ even entertain the idea that they should have a nation of their own. That is unthinkable! We must make them think that everything that they want, everything that they need, they must seek it from us.”
So a strategy was evolved into a “policy,” and that policy became the pride of the government under John F. Kennedy, and it became the cry of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, and it became the cry of all sick and affected Black leaders who have always felt that “unless we are approved by White people, we are not approved at all”; unless we get some certificate from them saying “You’re okay,” you are really not okay.
So if you were looking at “separation” from the viewpoint of a White oppressor, separating a Black nation out from a nation founded in White Supremacy-based ideals is “crazy,” “absolutely insane” and “madness”!
“Integration”: The Trick to make you think you’re ‘free’, ‘equal’
“Integration” has destroyed the Black institutions of education. In the South, when you were in school under Black teachers, you had to know something about Black history on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Because of the education you received, this caused you to grow up with a degree of pride in the accomplishments of Black people, feeling, knowing and believing that you also could achieve. And even though you left the South and came North, you came North with a spirit to achieve.
And although when you got out of those Black high schools; and after those Black colleges wherein you learned whatever you learned and became a teacher some other profession, when you went to the big White Universities for your Masters or Doctorate degrees, your roots were so strong because of that segregated learning.
However, when they broke up segregation (which kept you together, but separate in an inferior position), they thought that integration would make you better. But if you go back down South now you’ll see that they’re going to schools and they have no knowledge of Black accomplishments.
This isn’t even being taught anymore in southern schools! The Black colleges are being systematically closed up or integrated into a major university system.
And Black hospitals that were flourishing in southern towns are closed up today and Blacks have no medical facilities in most of the major cities of the South and you are forced now to go into White hospitals to deliver your baby, not knowing whether you are going to come out with a baby, or not!
You are forced to go to White hospitals for them to experiment on you because you thought integration meant freedom, and you found that integration was a trick.
White people never intended for you to be a “full American” sharing in the rights and privileges of America. Since “integration” has been advanced as a policy and a strategy, White people know that it has failed. They don’t admit openly its failure, but there’s a pullback now from all of the issues that were sent through the integration policies, such as “bussing.”
“I’m going to bus you out of your neighborhood and take you to a better school where you can learn.” And where is this “better” school? Wherever White folks are, that’s the “better” school. But now White people are saying “I don’t want them n—-rs in our neighborhood!
I ain’t bussing my children into no Black neighborhood to achieve no ‘racial balance’—that’s out!” And they’ve gotten so strong now that they have made school boards pull back; the federal government is pulling back and the mood in the country now is shifting …
Now what is it that White people never wanted to do? They never wanted to let you go. their thinking is being turned by events in the international world and events on the national scene.
Today’s international pressures, domestic pressures, the forces of nature that are at work are absolutely forcing White people to take a stand—a very militant, anti-Black stand.
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said to us that Allah (God), Master Fard Muhammad, had The Power to turn their minds and force them to do what He Wills against their own will. He said Master Fard Muhammad has The Power to make them bow to His Will … And the Bible teaches that “every knee will bow and every tongue will be forced to confess.”
Whether you want to or not, circumstances will force you to do the very thing you don’t think you will ever do.
“The Honorable Elijah Muhammad said that The Essentials of Life are Freedom, Justice and Equality. Anything that deprives you of freedom, deprives you of justice, deprives you of the essentials of life.
If this world of the Caucasian is a world designed to deprive you and me, Black people, dark people and their own people, of Freedom, Justice and Equality, then this means what? That separation is absolutely vital to your own life.”
Several meetings have been held between the President of Russia and Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution. Photo: Albi
When feelings mediate, when in spite of very different landscapes and customs, the souls of two nations seek and understand each other in an admirable way, it can be said that we are facing a twinning, a closeness that cannot be diminished by any mishap. This is the case of the embrace, so heartfelt and firm, that Cuba and Russia are giving each other, two homelands that in decades of relations have lived a very rich common history.It is worth remembering now November 22, 2022. It was three o'clock in the afternoon and the temperature was almost ten degrees below zero in the Sokol neighborhood in Moscow, when the monument dedicated to Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz was inaugurated, and where dignitaries Vladimir Putin and Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez met. Outdoors, the cold turned off cell phones, but in Sokol the warmth of feelings forced to be awake and attentive: "The ties between Russia and Cuba are indestructible. Fidel founded their bases, Raúl developed them, and we will give them continuity", expressed President Diaz-Canel; and he also assured that the Eurasian nation "knows that it will be able to continue counting on Cuba." Everything became shocking when, in a land so distant from Cuba, and yet so dear, the 26th of July March was heard. History emerged with its dazzling transcendence. Fidel was the reason for that encounter. He was no longer alive and yet the results of his robust seeds of friendship provoked admiration. Fidel, his metallic figure -looking forward and dressed in his combatant suit- worked the magic of the confluence of two statesmen. The host was the first to speak: "We are gathered here, in the square that bears the name of Fidel Castro, to inaugurate a monument to this outstanding public and political personality, the founder of the modern Cuban State". The President said that "Fidel Castro dedicated his entire life to the struggle for the triumph of ideas of good, peace, justice, for the freedom of oppressed peoples, for a dignified life for ordinary people, for social equality"; that "he is rightly considered one of the most brilliant and charismatic leaders of the 20th century". He defined him as a legendary personality, as the symbol of an entire epoch. Putin even recalled "a famous Soviet song: Cuba, my love", to emphasize the affection that the island inspires in the Eurasian country. And he went on with magnificent definitions, such as the one according to which Fidel possessed powerful energy and will that "attracted and continue to attract like a magnet". The Russian-Cuban friendship bequeathed by Fidel Castro is the common wealth of our peoples, he affirmed; and enunciated with emphasis: "Together we will continue to strengthen our alliance, defending the values of freedom, equality, and justice". On that occasion, President Díaz-Canel recalled that the figure of Fidel Castro "is intimately linked to the friendship that for more than 60 years has been forged between our two peoples and governments". He referred to the admiration that the Commander-in-Chief felt for that nation that knew how to take human beings to the cosmos, and that showed an immense capacity for sacrifice when confronting fascist forces. He recalled the beautiful words written on behalf of the Russian people by President Vladimir Putin upon Fidel's death: Fidel Castro was a sincere friend on whom Russia could rely, and he made an enormous contribution to the formation and development of Russian-Cuban relations, to the close strategic cooperation in all fields. There are many beautiful examples that demonstrate the powerful magnet that unites the two countries. In that visit of the Cuban leader to Russia, in November 2022, another transcendental meeting took place: the dignitary was received by His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, at the Danilovsk Monastery, seat of the Russian Orthodox Church. And there, an unforgettable gesture took place: Díaz-Canel reiterated to his important host "our eternal gratitude for the proposal you made for the historic meeting with Pope Francis in Cuba in February 2016". Thanks to that proposal by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, the largest of the Antilles became a scenario of reconciliation, in a space where, thanks to the meeting of the highest figures of the two churches, a millenary disagreement was overcome. His Holiness Kirill said in that November: "We Christians know that strength is in the truth, and that Cuba continues its independent and sovereign existence, despite all the external pressure, confirms it". Such a "beautiful history of relations...". In such terms President Diaz-Canel Bermúdez has referred to the friendship between Cuba and Russia. He has even spoken about the way in which those ties have been strengthened, which have reached the most diverse spheres and "have gone through political and economic-commercial relations, but have also reached family relations, friendship, brotherhood, solidarity and cooperation". And when we dwell on this history, it is so beautiful - said the President - that it can captivate young people; and what better luck than to captivate young people - he proposed - so that they feel responsible for making these relations grow and give continuity to them. The 65th anniversary of the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the then Soviet Union will be celebrated this May 8. The nascent Revolution and the first socialist state on the planet resumed ties, interrupted in 1952 by the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and began together the path marked by admiration, respect and affection. Today, bilateral relations are excellent, with solid historical foundations, as well as an undoubted priority given by both governments. It is a friendship that understands a lot about resistance, and also about love for what is worthy. The fraternal ties overcame the disintegration of the Soviet Union and received a new impulse after the arrival of Vladimir Putin to the highest office of the Eurasian giant. The last few years have witnessed the growth and diversification of bilateral relations. The visits to Russia by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, in his capacity as President of the Councils of State and Ministers, and Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, since he became head of the Cuban State, the constant exchange of delegations at the highest level and cooperation in areas such as energy, metallurgy, transportation, tourism, climate change, biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry, confirm this. A moment of particular significance in the ties was the entry of Cuba -on December 11, 2020, and as an observer state- to the Eurasian Economic Union, an important space that brings together several of the nations that were part of the former USSR. Bilateral ties between the largest of the Antilles and Russia are significant for Cuba's Economic and Social Development Plan until 2030, in key sectors which, in turn, provide opportunities for Russian companies. This, Miguel Díaz-Canel's fifth visit to the Eurasian nation as a dignitary, is part of the joint efforts to continue consolidating the high level of political-diplomatic dialogue, the bonds of friendship between both peoples, to pay tribute to the fallen in the Great Patriotic War -on the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory-, as well as the purpose of raising economic, trade, financial and cooperation relations to the excellent level of political and diplomatic ties. On that cold November afternoon in 2022, when the monument to the Commander-in-Chief was inaugurated, the President of the Russian Federation told citizens of his nation and Cubans present at the ceremony that he had the good fortune to meet Fidel repeatedly, to have long talks with him -the last one in July 2014-. From such closeness, he said, he was "impressed by his encyclopedic knowledge, his deep worldview of events, his sharp mind and accurate assessments", and his deep friendship with the Eurasian nation, which he visited for the first time in 1963, and to which he went "at any time: in summer, in winter, with or without snow". It seems that those long talks have not come to an end, and that they are having new architects, both on a snowy night and on a morning of burning sun. That will continues to unite souls, and in that union, both the heroic Caribbean Island and the immense Russia find their best voice and disposition.
Party Political Bureau member and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla arrived in Beijing to participate in the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum. The meeting, scheduled for this week, will bring together almost twenty foreign ministers and other high-level representatives of the region, in addition to the presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; of Colombia, Gustavo Petro; of Chile, Gabriel Boric, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will deliver the opening speech. The China-Celac Ministerial Forum celebrates ten years since its official launch in 2015, and over the course of this decade it has allowed to raise mutual political trust, align development strategies and promote connectivity between the peoples of both regions. The event will allow the Asian giant and the Latin American and Caribbean region to address common development strategies and challenges, strengthen the collective voice of the Global South for solidarity and self-sufficiency, and convey stability in a context of uncertainty. The meeting is seen as an opportunity to strengthen ties and forge new alliances. Beijing is the second most important trading partner of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the main trading partner for countries such as Chile, Brazil and Peru. Five nations in the region (Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Nicaragua) have free trade agreements with the Asian giant. Two documents are expected to be approved at the Forum: the Beijing Declaration of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting, and the Celac-China Joint Action Plan for Cooperation in Key Areas during the period 2025-2027. The Declaration will show the decision of the participating countries to continue with peace, development and cooperation. Moreover, the Plan will include specific measures for cooperation in sectors such as innovation, trade and investment, finance, infrastructure, agriculture, information technology, energy and minerals, and also on cooperation taking place in the context of the Belt and Road initiative.
The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, received yesterday, at the Palace of the Revolution, the member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Thang, who is in the largest of the Antilles to fulfill an agenda of bipartisan exchange.
The also Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council and Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, heads a delegation from the brother country.
"For us it is a source of deep satisfaction the presence of you here in Cuba," said Díaz-Canel in a dialogue that was also attended by the member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Roberto Morales Ojeda.
The President valued that "this visit is an expression of the magnificent level of our relations; and it gives continuity to the high level of political dialogue that exists between our Parties, our Governments, and our nations".
"We would like to congratulate - he added - our Vietnamese brothers on the majestic celebration of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification, and also in the context of another celebration that we have been commemorating this year, especially in the month of February, which is the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
"About these commemorations we can tell you that we also celebrated them in Cuba, that events were held here at the headquarters of the Palace of the Revolution," commented the president, who also assured: "We still have important commemorations in the remainder of the year. We will be celebrating the anniversary of Vietnam's independence, and also the 65th anniversary of the establishment of relations between our countries".
Díaz-Canel took the opportunity "to, once again, convey an affectionate greeting to our brother, the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam."
"Inter-party relations are the fundamental basis of bilateral relations between our nations; they are special relations of brotherhood, friendship, respect, solidarity, admiration, and very sincere relations, which allow us, in all honesty, among brothers, to exchange on the challenges and challenges that, from the vision of our parties, we have to face the current problems," he assured.
FIDEL CASTRO AND HO CHI MINH IN THE THOUGHTS OF THEIR PEOPLES
The 2nd Fidel Castro-Ho Chi Minh Scientific Conference was held yesterday to deepen in the life, work and thought of two extraordinary men who cemented the solid friendship between their respective peoples and parties. Vision of Revolution.
The event at the University of the Communist Party of Cuba Ñico López, which takes place within the framework of the 6th Cuba-Vietnam Inter-Party Theoretical Seminar, was attended by the member of the Political Bureau Teresa Amarelle Boué, secretary general of the Federation of Cuban Women; the member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee, Yudí Mercedes Rodríguez Hernández, head of the Department of Services, as well as other leaders of the Party, political and mass organizations, and representatives of various sectors of society.
Jorge Hurtado Pérez, rector of the institution, expressed that history wanted to unite Cuba and Vietnam on the date of May 19. In 1890 the unforgettable and venerated Ho Chi Minh was born, while on the same day, but in 1895, our National Hero fell in combat.
He added that the brotherhood of Vietnam and Cuba transcends time and borders and that "the work of their main leaders guides the most advanced revolutionary thought".
For his part, Nguyen Xuan Thang, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Vietnam, expressed his conviction that Cuba, under the guidance and leadership of the Party, will be able to overcome the difficulties and overcome the current challenges, for which it will always count on the solidarity and firm support of the Vietnamese homeland.
