Politburo member and head of the CPV Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation Trương Thị Mai visits the headquarters of the Cuban National Assembly of People’s Power and had talks with President of the Cuban National Assembly of People’s Power Esteban Lazo Hernández. — VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Lê Hà

HAVANA — The Party, State and people of Việt Nam will make every effort to consolidate and deepen traditional, special friendship with Cuba, said Trương Thị Mai, Politburo member and head of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, during her meetings with Cuban leaders this week.

Mai, who is also Chairwoman of the Việt Nam-Cuba Friendship Association, led a high-ranking Party delegation to pay a working visit to Cuba and attend the 29th International Book Fair of Havana, in which Việt Nam is a guest of honour, from February 4-8.

While in Cuba, Mai met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, President of the Cuban National Assembly of People’s Power Esteban Lazo Hernández, Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba José Ramón Machado Ventura and Secretary General of the Cuban Women’s Federation Teresa María Amarelle Boué.

At the meetings, she affirmed Việt Nam’s consistent stance to support Cuban’s revolutionary cause and struggle for an immediate and unconditional end to the economic, trade and financial embargo against Cuba.

Cuban leaders spoke highly of the visit and thanked Việt Nam for its presence at the book fair which launched a series of upcoming activities to mark the 60th anniversary of the Việt Nam-Cuba diplomatic relations (December 2, 1960-2020).

They reiterated the Party, State and people of Cuba attach importance to relations with Việt Nam and want to further strengthen the long-standing ties and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and people.

They congratulated Việt Nam on the successfully implementation of resolutions issued by the CPV’s 12th National Congress and hoped for the success of the next congress, to be held in 2021.

In her remarks at the launch of the International Book Fair of Havana on February 6, Mai highly valued the effort of the Cuban Party and State for organising such a significant cultural event in times of hardship.

The presence of Việt Nam as a guest of honour is a chance for the two countries to enhance the mutual understanding and cultural exchange, and to beef up the bilateral ties.

Mai and Cuba’s high-profile leaders cut the ribbon to launch Việt Nam’s pavilion at the fair which features more than 700 books and 2,000 publications in different languages, including Vietnamese, Spanish and English.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Phạm Anh Tuấn described the book fair as one of the biggest of its kind in Latin America. — VNS

President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez visits Việt Nam's booth at the book fair. — VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Lê Hà