Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng (R) receives Salvador Valdes Mesa (L), Vice President of the Council of State and Special Envoy of First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in Hà Nội yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘi — The Cuban Party, State and people will exert every effort to reinforce and strengthen the special relations with Việt Nam, said a Cuban official. 

Salvador Valdes Mesa, Vice President of the Council of State and Special Envoy of First Secretary of the Communist Party, made his remarks to Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng in Hà Nội yesterday.

The Party chief said Mesa’s visit demonstrates the mutual trust between the two countries’ top leaders as well as the time-honoured friendship, solidarity and co-operation between the Vietnamese and Cuban Parties, States and peoples. 

He congratulated the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) on the successful organisation of its 7th National Congress and spoke highly of Cuba’s remarkable achievements in updating its socio-economic model, as well as its attainments in external affairs over the past few years. 

Major policies adopted at the 7th PCC National Congress will help Cuba overcome challenges towards sustainable economic development, while successfully defending the country’s revolutionary achievements and marching firmly on the path of socialism, he said. 

Party General Secretary Trọng also reiterated the support and solidarity of the Vietnamese Party, State and people towards Cuba’s building and development, adding that the faithful relations between the two Parties, State and peoples are valuable assets that need to be preserved and passed on to future generations. 

Also yesterday, the Cuban official was received by President Trần Đại Quang, who suggested Việt Nam and Cuba expand economic and investment co-operation, especially in the fields of agriculture, tourism, health, education, and pharmaceuticals. 

Quang expressed his hope that the two nations will reach agreements to turn their potential into special programmes, and intensify experience sharing to serve each other’s national construction and defense. 

The guest spoke highly of Việt Nam’s help for Cuba in ensuring food security, stating that Cuba will meet 50 per cent of domestic demands thanks to the Southeast Asian country’s assistance. 

He also took the occasion to convey President Raul Castro’s invitation to President Quang to visit Cuba. The Vietnamese State leader accepted the invitation.

Welcoming Lao Defense Minister

Party General Secretary Trọng (R) receives Lao Defence Minister Chansamone Channhalat (L) yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

On the same day, Party General Secretary Trọng received Lao Defence Minister Chansamone Channhalat, noting the close-knit relations between the Vietnamese and Lao defence ministries. 

Trọng suggested the two sides enhance co-ordination to effectively carry out bilateral defence co-operation to ensure political security, social order and safety.  It is also necessary to jointly build a shared borderline of peace, stability and sustainable development, he added. 

In turn, the Lao Minister said the Lao Party, State, army and people will spare no effort to keep and nurture the special solidarity with Việt Nam for the sake of their two peoples.The Vietnamese and Lao armies need to push ahead with co-operation to ensure political security and defend revolutionary achievements in their respective countries. 

Meeting the Lao Minister yesterday, President Trần Đại Quang  said the growing bilateral collaboration will significantly contribute to successfully implementing the Resolution adopted at the 12th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and another approved at the 10th Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP). 

Chansamone’s selection of Việt Nam as his first stop as Defence Minister shows that the Lao Party, State and army attach much importance to the traditional friendship, Quang said. He hailed the outcomes of the talks between the two countries’ defence ministers. 

President Quang said Việt Nam pledged to do its utmost to support Laos in organising this year’s ASEAN events and to celebrate the 55 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and 40 years of the signing of Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in 2017. For his part, the Lao minister thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for supporting Lao counterparts, and confirmed that Laos will spare no effort to nurture the special relations between the two nations. 

During talks yesterday between the Lao Minister and Defence Minister Ngô Xuân Lịch, both agreed to continue to fully implement their co-operation plan, with a focus on the exchange of visits, Party and political work, training, experience sharing, search for and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who sacrificed their lives in Laos.

The two countries will intensify collaboration between border defence forces in the fight against trans-national crimes to ensure security in their border areas, as well as fight plots dividing the Vietnam-Laos traditional friendship. — VNS