Hungarian Ambassador to Cuba József Szipka reports on Soviet-Cuban relations from the early stages of the Cuban revolution to the present. The Cuban government depends on economic, military and political aid; trade agreements; and cultural and scientific exchanges from socialist governments, primarily the Soviet Union. Szipka adds that the Soviet Union’s flexible political steps during the Cuban Missile Crisis ensured Cuba’s security from a US invasion. From Szipka’s perspective, the missile crisis was a valuable learning experience for Cuban officials.