As Cuba mourns passing of former President Fidel Castro, Ban offers condolences, UN support

“At this time of national mourning, I offer the support of the United Nations to work alongside the people of the island,” Ban told reporters in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, where he is attending the Global Sustainable Transport Conference. He offered his particular condolences to Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz.

Fidel Castro served as Cuba's President from 1976 to 2008.

Recalling vividly his meeting with former President Fidel Castro during a visit to Cuba in January 2014, Ban said the two had held a lively discussion that covered developments around the world, sustainable development and climate change.

“Under former President Castro, Cuba made advances in the fields of education literacy and health. I hope that Cuba will continue to advance on a path of reform and greater prosperity,” the Secretary-General concluded.

A statement issued later in the day by Ban's spokesperson in New York noted that former President Castro was an emblematic figure of the Cuban revolution, prominent in Latin America and influential in world affairs.

“As Prime Minister, President, Commander of the Cuban Armed Forces and First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, his role at the helm of Cuba spanned nearly 50 years, during which he left a major imprint on his country and on global politics,” the statement said, adding: “His revolutionary ideals left few indifferent. He was a strong voice for social justice in global discussions at the UN General Assembly and international and regional forums.”

UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata

Source: www.justearthnews.com