Cuban solidarity with Russians is unprecedented — Russian senior diplomat

MOSCOW, April 3. /TASS/. The large-scale, long-running rehabilitation program for victims of the Chernobyl disaster is proof of the unprecedented solidarity Cubans show toward Russians, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in an interview with TASS Analytical Center. "The solidarity that Cuba shows toward our compatriots is unprecedented," he noted. According to the senior diplomat, there is no measure that "could quantify the courage of those who, despite all the hardships that befell Cuba after the collapse of the Soviet Union, organized and for decades maintained a large-scale rehabilitation program for victims of the Chernobyl disaster". "But, of course, especially important, including from the point of view of the psychological health of those affected by the Chernobyl tragedy, was the program, which lasted for more than a quarter of a century, to provide rest and medical treatment for children," the deputy foreign minister said. "For 25,000 foreign children, Cubans did everything they could, often depriving themselves of essentials while providing the best possible conditions for rest and treatment. They did it free of charge, not earning anything from it, allocating subsidies from their already strained budget," he went on to say. "We will always be deeply grateful to Havana and the Cuban leadership for such attention to this complex project of rehabilitation and medical care for affected children," Ryabkov stressed. "We value this and see it as a real reflection of the special nature of our relations," he added. The deputy foreign minister also recalled how Cubans helped Russians cope with the consequences of COVID-19. "We know how they work, including in the very challenging area of combating diabetes and its consequences. This is also a broad field for cooperation," Ryabkov noted.