Party chief’s visit to Cuba to preserve historic legacy, lift brotherhood

The visit will also embrace the two nations’ joint effort to address challenges of the 21st century for the well-being of both sides, Rivera told the Vietnam News Agency ahead of General Secretary Trong’s State visit to Cuba from March 28-31.

High-level mutual visits between Vietnam and Cuba in the past demonstrated the two nations’ strong political relations, the ambassador said. She highlighted that the historic exchanges between President Ho Chi Minh and President Fidel Castro have paved the way for the bilateral ties to grow with a deep sense of brotherhood and solidarity; and the Vietnam-Cuba friendship has set an example of a foreign relation.

The General Secretary’s visit is of significant importance as it takes place in 2018, the year marking the 45th anniversary of President Fidel’s historic visit to a newly liberated area in Quang Tri, the fiercest battlefield in the anti-US war, in 1973, bringing to Vietnamese people a great encouragement amidst their struggle for national reunification, she noted.

The Vietnam-Cuba relations have shown progress in several fields but there are potential in other areas that will require joint initiatives to be unleashed, she said. “The prospect should focus on consolidating what we have already achieved and venturing into other areas that are promising.”

The two sides have much experience in cooperating in the fields of agriculture, health care, biotechnology, construction and justice. Each country’s press has also benefited from their agreements in human resources training and experience exchange. Many Vietnamese students arrive in Cuba every year to study in multiple fields while Cuban students have been offered education on Vietnamese language and culture at the Hanoi University, she added.

Rivera went on to say that Vietnam is now the second largest trade partner in Asia and Oceania and the biggest rice supplier of Cuba.

To further bolster the special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba, the diplomat suggested the two nations maintain exchange of visits at all levels and back initiatives to bring them closer. She also wanted the two sides to make concrete steps to give the young generation better understanding of their long-standing relations. She was convinced that strengthened friendship will be an advantage to bring the bilateral economic and investment relations to the same height as the political ties.

General Secretary of the Communist Party Nguyen Phu Trong will pay a State visit to Cuba from March 28-31 at the invitation of First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba’s Central Committee and President of the Councils of State and Ministers Raul Castro Ruz.