Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretary Nguyen PhuTrong on July 27 evening engaged in a phone talk with First Secretary of the CommunistParty of Cuba (CPC) Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez.

General Secretary Trong warmly congratulated Cuba on the68th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution (July 26, 1953-2021) andthe 100th birthday of heroine Melba Hernandez (July 28, 1921-2021), who was acomrade of Fidel Castro and Raul Castro, a close friend of Vietnamese peopleand a symbol of the special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba.

The Vietnamese Party leader praised the efforts of the Party, State and peopleof Cuba in carrying out the Resolution of the 8th Congress of theCPC, continuing to accelerate the process of updating the socialistsocio-economic development model. He shared the difficulties that Cuba isfacing in the context of tightened embargo measures and the negative impact ofthe COVID-19 pandemic on every aspect of Cuban people’s life. He appreciatedthe work of the Party, State and the entire political system of Cuba to timelyhandle arising issues, thus stabilizing the situation and firmly safeguard thefruits of revolution.

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

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

He took the occasion to reiterated the wish and resolveto further deepen the special traditional friendship between the Parties, Statesand peoples of Vietnam and Cuba. He stressed that Cuba is ready for and givespriority 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 faithfulsolidarity of the Party, State and people of Vietnam with the righteous causeof the Cuban Party, State and people. Vietnam will continue to accompany Cubain the process of updating its model of socialist socio-economic development,he said, stressing that Vietnam will continue to support Cuba in ensuring foodsecurity through the stable provision of rice and programmes to develop the productionof 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-19vaccine to Vietnam in the time ahead.

The two leaders discussed in depth measures to enhance, expand and improve theefficiency of cooperation between the two Parties and countries, with a focuson increasing high-level exchanges to define strategic directions, shareexperience on issues of mutual concern; optimizing existing cooperative mechanismswhile studying cooperation possibilities in fields of both sides’ strength. Theyunderlined the significance of the cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine, which theysaid will help Vietnam realise its twin goals while improving the commercialpotential of Cuba’s science research, health care and vaccine production in Asiaand the world./.