Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and General Raúl Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in March 2020

The leaders included General Raúl Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, Cuban State President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, President of Cuba's National Assembly and Council of State Esteban Lazo Hernández and Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz.

Addressing the ceremony, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz reviewed important milestones in the Vietnam – Cuba relationship over the past 60 years, as well as their mutual support during each other’s most difficult periods, from Vietnam’s resistance war against the American imperialist and its national reconstruction, to Cuba’s overcoming of huge economic challenges in early 1990s.

Emphasizing the continued development of the relationship over the years with visits from senior leaders, he stressed that Vietnam is now Cuba’s second largest trading partner and largest investor in the Asia-Oceania region, noting that the two sides have the potential to promote cooperation in fields such as energy, telecommunications, tourism, health, industry - agriculture, and food industry, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.

The Cuban Prime Minister affirmed the determination to continue the heritage of President Ho Chi Minh and historic revolutionary leader Fidel Castro Ruz, who sowed the seeds and nurtured the solidarity between the two nations, emphasizing that in the complex development of the international situation, Cuba and Vietnam will continue to stand side by side with each other and win, as in history.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Thanh Tung gave evidence of the close affection between the two nations, from the immortal literature of the eminent thinker José Martí, the sincere sharing of President Ho Chi Minh comparing Vietnam and Cuba to twins, and the famous quote of historic revolutionary leader Fidel Castro that "For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood".

He asserted that the Vietnamese people will never forget the valuable help of Cuba in the resistance war for national liberation and national reunification; and will continue to steadfastly support the Cuban people in the struggle against the US embargo policy.

Sharing his views on potential fields for the two countries to develop cooperation, Ambassador Le Thanh Tung emphasized that the past 60 years of solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two countries is a valuable heritage and a solid foundation for the two peoples to continue writing proud pages in the bilateral relationship, meeting the aspirations and interests of each nation.

Previously, on December 1, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations held the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Cuba, during with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh confirmed that Vietnam always respected and remembered Cuban solidarity and moral support for Vietnam in its struggle for national liberation, national construction and defense. “In the new era, the Vietnamese people have always enthusiastically supported the Cuban people, expressed through the movement of unity, donation to help Cuba,” he added.

During the anniversary, Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Lianys Torres Rivera emphasized that Cuba highly appreciated Vietnam's stance supporting the Cuban people against the embargo and unilateral blockade, expressing his belief that the two countries would continue to consolidate their special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba, which would be passed on to future generations./.

Compiled by BTA