Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA)

General Secretary Trong warmly congratulated Cuba on the 68th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution (July 26, 1953-2021) and the 100th birthday of heroine Melba Hernandez (July 28, 1921-2021), who was a comrade of Fidel Castro and Raul Castro, a close friend of Vietnamese people and a symbol of the special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba.

The Vietnamese Party leader praised the efforts of the Party, State and people of Cuba in carrying out the Resolution of the 8th Congress of the CPC, continuing to accelerate the process of updating the socialist socio-economic development model. He shared the difficulties that Cuba is facing in the context of tightened embargo measures and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on every aspect of Cuban people’s life. He appreciated the work of the Party, State and the entire political system of Cuba to timely handle arising issues, thus stabilizing the situation and firmly safeguard the fruits of revolution.

On behalf of the Party, State and people of Cuba, First Secretary of the CPC Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez thanked Vietnam for the gift of 12,000 tonnes of rice at a time when Cuba is in difficulties, describing it as a vivid manifestation of Vietnam’s consistent solidarity and a source of great and timely encouragement for the Revolution and people of Cuba.

The Cuban leader informed Party General Secretary Trong on the situation in Cuba and hostile forces’ plots to incite instability in the country, while reiterating the firmness of Cuban communists and people in protecting the Revolution and its achievements of the people and for the people that was initiated by leader Fidel Castro.

He took the occasion to reiterated the wish and resolve to further deepen the special traditional friendship between the Parties, States and peoples of Vietnam and Cuba. He stressed that Cuba is ready for and gives priority to cooperation with Vietnam in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, including the provision and transfer vaccine technology to Vietnam.

Party General Secretary Trong re-affirmed the faithful solidarity of the Party, State and people of Vietnam with the righteous cause of the Cuban Party, State and people. Vietnam will continue to accompany Cuba in the process of updating its model of socialist socio-economic development, he said, stressing that Vietnam will continue to support Cuba in ensuring food security through the stable provision of rice and programmes to develop the production of rice, maize, coffee and aquatic products.

He appreciated the support and cooperation of Cuba and Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez himself in providing and transferring technology for the production of COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam in the time ahead.

The two leaders discussed in depth measures to enhance, expand and improve the efficiency of cooperation between the two Parties and countries, with a focus on increasing high-level exchanges to define strategic directions, share experience on issues of mutual concern; optimizing existing cooperative mechanisms while studying cooperation possibilities in fields of both sides’ strength. They underlined the significance of the cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine, which they said will help Vietnam realise its twin goals while improving the commercial potential of Cuba’s science research, health care and vaccine production in Asia and the world.