President Võ Văn Thưởng on Tuesday receives Senior Lieutenant General Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, during his official visit to Việt Nam from October 19 to 28. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – President Võ Văn Thưởng on Tuesday expressed his appreciation for the robust bilateral defence cooperation with Cuba, reaffirming that Việt Nam always strived to create the best conditions for both countries to enhance their defence cooperation, particularly in the context of the world's ongoing complexities.

He made these remarks during the reception for Senior Lieutenant General Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, during his official visit to Việt Nam from October 19 to 28.

President Thưởng emphasised that this visit continued to vividly demonstrate the strong, enduring, and loyal bonds between Việt Nam and Cuba, as well as their respective armed forces.

He expressed his confidence that Senior Lieutenant General Sotolongo's visit would contribute to strengthening the firm relationship and excellent cooperation between Việt Nam and Cuba.

Senior Lieutenant General Sotolongo shared his joy, affirming that the solidarity between Việt Nam and Cuba was a unique bond, laid by President Hồ Chí Minh and President Fidel Castro, and has been nurtured, preserved, and developed by generations of leaders and people from both nations.

The Cuban official briefed about the positive results of the talks between the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Ministry of National Defence. He revealed that both sides reached agreements on various areas of cooperation, which would further deepen the special tradition of friendship and unity between Việt Nam and Cuba.

President Thưởng emphasised that the defence of both nations maintained a close and mutually supportive relationship across multiple areas, resulting in practical and effective collaboration.

To further leverage these achievements, President Thưởng proposed increasing high-level exchanges and strengthening interactions and cooperation between the Ministry of National Defence and the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.

He also suggested enhancing economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries, thus creating an important foundation to serve the national development and protection missions of each nation. The two armed forces should also share experiences in labour and increased production to train and develop personnel, which has been a central task successfully carried out by the Vietnam People's Army.

President Võ Văn Thưởng extended congratulations to Cuba for successfully hosting the G77 and China Summit. He emphasised that Việt Nam consistently supported Cuba's just struggle and opposed the blockade policy against Cuba. – VNS