Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang shakes hand with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel. — VNA/VNS Photo

HAVANA — Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang had a meeting with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana on April 15.

The Vietnamese official congratulated Cuba on its significant achievements obtained amid numerous difficulties and challenges. He affirmed Việt Nam's consistent solidarity with and support for Cuba as well as objection to the embargo against the Caribbean nation.

He informed his host about the outcomes of his talks and working sessions with Cuban Government leaders and made some suggestions for pushing ahead with the comprehensive, substantive, and effective cooperation between the two countries.

The Deputy PM stressed the need to devise mechanisms and measures for tackling difficulties, further promoting bilateral economic, trade and investment ties, and fruitfully implementing joint projects, especially in agriculture, thus helping strengthen the countries’ friendship and all-round partnerships.

Welcoming Quang on the first official visit to Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel stated that the Cuba-Việt Nam relations are special and have continually been reinforced on the basis of mutual trust, with their strategic importance affirmed in the current context.

He congratulated Việt Nam on its recent political - diplomatic and socioeconomic attainments while appreciating the Vietnamese Party, Government, and people’s assistance for his country through the stable rice supply and technical support in terms of rice and fisheries production.

The host leader praised joint ventures and investment projects with Vietnamese enterprises, which have effectively contributed to Cuba’s economic stability and development.

Cuba always pays attention to and provides optimal conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to do business and invest in such fields as trading, consumer goods production, renewable energy, construction material, and industrial park infrastructure, he stated.

Miguel Diaz-Canel expressed his hope that more Vietnamese firms will cooperate with Cuba in agriculture, food processing, energy, automobile industry, bio-pharmaceutical production and health services to tap into each country’s advantages and herald a new period of cooperation for common development.

At the meeting, Quang also conveyed Vietnamese leaders’ invitation to Miguel Diaz-Canel to pay a visit to Việt Nam.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang and Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz met on April 15 (local time) in Havana. — VNA/VNS Photo

Meeting with Cuban PM Manuel Marrero Cruz the same day, the visiting Deputy PM noted that leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State always keep a close watch on Cuba's situation and share the Caribbean country’s successes as well as difficulties and challenges on the path of national development and protection.

Việt Nam, within its capacity, will continue standing side by side with and assisting Cuba, he remarked, stressing its consistent solidarity with and support for the latter, along with objection to the embargoes against the country.

The Cuban PM applauded the Southeast Asian nation’s role as the biggest Asian-Pacific investor in Cuba and the second biggest in the Mariel Special Development Zone.

He asked the two Governments to keep enhancing coordination in implementing high-level agreements and the outcomes of the 41st session of the Inter-Governmental Committee.

Calling on Việt Nam to encourage its enterprises to increase investment and business activities in Cuba, he affirmed that the Cuban Government will work out mechanisms and measures for facilitating activities of Vietnamese firms, thereby benefiting enterprises and people of both countries and contributing to local socio-economic development.

At the meeting with Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Deputy PM Quang said Việt Nam believes that with its traditional heroism and dauntlessness, Cuba will manage to weather difficulties and challenges and harvest greater achievements.

The Cuban Foreign Minister appreciated the attention and support from Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, other leaders, the Government, and people of Việt Nam for his country in food and fisheries production and at international forums as well.

As part of the official visit, Deputy PM Quang laid floral tributes to President Hồ Chí Minh at a park named after the late Vietnamese leader in Havana, as well as to Cuban hero Jose Marti at his monument.

He also visited Vietnamese projects at the Mariel Special Development Zone and had a meeting with Vietnamese enterprises and people in Cuba.

Quang is set to visit the Võ Thị Thắng Primary School and the Fidel Castro Ruz Centre, where the late Cuban leader’s legacy is preserved. — VNS