The Prensa Latina News Agency and the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) need tostep up bilateral cooperation in order to meet the increasingrequirements of information during the new stage, said a Party official.

Phung Huu Phu, member of the Communist Party ofVietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) and Vice Chairman of the CPVCC’sCommission for Information and Education, made the request whilereceiving Prensa Latina’s Vice President Jacinto Granda de Laserda inHanoi on June 29.

Phu said he was delighted towelcome the Cuban friends, stressing that Cuba and Vietnam arefaithful friends, who have been pursuing the same sense of purpose andideal target of building socialism.

The Partyofficial spoke highly of close and effective cooperation between the twonews agencies, which contributed greatly to national defence anddevelopment in each country and brought information and images of bothVietnam and Cuba to the world’s people.

Grandade Laserda emphasised the necessity to strengthen and boost thetime-honoured relationship between the two countries’ Parties, Statesand people.

He also expressed his belief thatPrensa Latina and VNA would continue to cooperate effectively in theyears to come.

Earlier, Granda de Laserda held talkswith VNA’s Deputy General Director Nguyen Hoai Duong to review theimplementation of a cooperation compact between the two news agencies.

They also discussed directions and specific measuresto deepen and expand bilateral cooperation to new fields in the future./.