Raul Castro attends swearing-in ceremony for new Cuban ambassadors

Army Raúl Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuban Central Committee and President of the Councils of State and Ministers, presided a swearing-in ceremony for 38 new Cuban ambassadors, yesterday July 23, in the Council of State's Revolution Hall.

Rogelio Sierra Díaz, deputy minister of Foreign Affairs (Minrex), in his remarks to the new heads of diplomatic missions around the world, commented that Cuba's representatives to other governments and peoples are the advance forces of the country's defense, and must therefore be exemplary models of ideological firmness, modesty, courage, and dignity.

He called on the new ambassadors to work with enthusiasm, intelligence, and

strict adherence to established norms and regulations, maintaining high expectations, carefully planning and evaluating their own work and that of subordinates.

Sierra Díaz emphasized the influence of Fidel Castro in the country's foreign policy, noting that his intelligence and ability to foresee events contributed to the international prestige of Cuban diplomacy.

The deputy minister recalled the importance of maintaining confidence in victory in difficult times and specifically mentioned the ambassadors' role in promoting the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.

Speaking for the group of new ambassadors was Josefina Vidal Ferreiro, who stressed the honor, commitment, and responsibility that heading a diplomatic mission in the revolutionary tradition entails.

The occasion also served as an opportunity to award the Revolutionary Armed Forces 60th Anniversary Medal to five Minrex officials who assumed the important logistical task of supporting the Henry Reeve Contingent of Cuban doctors who participated in the battle against Ebola in West Africa.

Also attending the event were members of the Political Bureau and the Council of Ministers, Party leaders, other Minrex authorities, as well as families of the new ambassadors.