Cuban leader Fidel Castro eulogized on Monday Venezuela’s late leader as "the best friend Cuba ever had," in his first remarks since Hugo Chavez’ passing.

Cuban leader Fidel Castro eulogized on Monday Venezuela's late leader as "the best friend Cuba ever had," in his first remarks since Hugo Chavez’ passing.

Writing in the daily Granma newspaper, Castro eulogized Chavez, who died last week, as "an unforgettable friend" who "did not even himself realize just how great he was."

"Even though we knew the critical state of his health, the news (of Chavez's death) was a heavy blow," the revolutionary icon wrote in a brief newspaper column.

Castro, 86, added that he and Chavez "had the privilege of sharing the same ideals of social justice and help for the exploited. The poor are the same everywhere throughout the world."

Chavez passed away on March 5 after two-year-long battle with cancer, after undergoing surgery and treatment almost exclusively in Cuba.

Caracas and Havana were close ideological partners and political allies, often finding common cause against the United States and global capitalism.

Chavez was seen as the region's leftist firebrand in the tradition of Fidel Castro, who resigned Cuba's presidency in 2008 after a health crisis.