Vice President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thinh (L) meets First Vice President of the Cuban Council of State, Salvador Valdes Mesa, in Havana on Monday. — VNA/VNS Photo Phương Hoa

HAVANA — Vice President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thinh and the First Vice President of the Cuban Council of State, Salvador Valdes Mesa, held talks in Havana on Monday, discussing measures that will continue to enhance the faithful solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
Vice President Thịnh, who is paying an official visit to Cuba from July 8 to 11, congratulated the Caribbean nation on the approval of its new constitution, affirming that Việt Nam is ready to continue exchanging experiences in national development and defence.
She noted that Việt Nam always keeps in mind the pure solidarity, wholehearted support and valuable assistance that Cuba has given to the country. 
She stressed that the Vietnamese Party, State and people consistently support the Cuban Revolution, along with the United Nations General Assembly’s resolutions demanding that the US end its economic, trade and financial sanctions against Cuba.
First Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa welcomed the Vietnamese Vice President’s official trip, describing it as a contribution to the countries’ fraternal solidarity, all-round cooperation and absolute mutual trust.
He said that Cuba treasures the Southeast Asian nation’s solidarity and has offered precious support for its Revolution throughout history, especially when making efforts to carry out the guidelines of the seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba and the new constitution. 
He also congratulated Việt Nam on its recent development and diplomatic achievements, especially its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-21 term.
The two Vice Presidents shared the view that the countries’ relations have entered a new stage of development that is increasingly substantive. 
They agreed on the need to seriously implement the agreements reached during the visit to Cuba by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Nguyễn Phú Trọng in March 2018 and the trip to Việt Nam by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez in November the same year.

Accordingly, both sides need to maintain all-level delegation exchanges in all fields, pay special attention to promoting economic and trade links, and effectively implement joint projects on agriculture, pharmaceuticals, construction, information and communications, and education and training.
At the talks, the officials agreed to improve cooperation policies and mechanisms, including the theoretical seminar between the two Parties, the Inter-governmental Committee, the defence dialogue, the political consultation between the two foreign ministries, and the Việt Nam-Cuba Business Council. The countries will also continue perfecting the legal framework for bilateral cooperation.
The two sides also discussed measures to encourage mutual investment, agreeing to further facilitate Vietnamese and Cuban businesses’ access to the respective markets.
The vice presidents said they highly valued their countries’ close cooperation and mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums, especially the UN, to help protect the legitimate interests and promote the prestige and stature of each nation, as well as contribute to the common fight for peace, stability and cooperation in their respective regions and the world.
Regarding the East Sea issue, both sides affirmed their support for the settlement of disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, along with the need for relevant parties to seriously comply with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and finalise a Code of Conduct in the waters.
Vice President Thịnh invited Vice President of the Cuban Councils of State and Minister Salvador Valdes Mesa to pay another official visit to Việt Nam. The Cuban Vice President thanked and accepted the invitation with pleasure.
During their stay in Cuba, Thịnh and other senior Vietnamese officials visited the Mariel Special Development Zone in Artemisa province, where they met with executives and employees of two projects invested in by Việt Nam’s Viglacera and Thái Bình companies.
Also on Monday, the delegation laid wreaths at monuments to the late Vietnamese President Hồ Chí Minh and Cuban hero Hose Martin in Havana. — VNS