Hanoi (VNA) -The Vietnamese Party, State, and people always treasure the solidarity andwhole-hearted support, both spiritually and materially, that Cuba has given toVietnam during the struggle for national liberation as well as the cause ofnational construction and defence over the past six decades and more.

The comments were made by Party General Secretaryand State President Nguyen Phu Trong during his phone talk with First Secretaryof the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee Raul Castro Ruz.

The Vietnamese leader cited Cuban leader FidelCastro’s saying: “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood.”

He thanked Raul Castro for his congratulations onthe success of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam(CPV), the 91st founding anniversary of the CPV, and his re-election as theGeneral Secretary of the 13th CPV Central Committee.

Congratulatory messages like these from RaulCastro and many Cuban agencies and organisations have vividly demonstrated thespecial friendship between the two countries as well as the close ties andmutual trust between Party and State leaders of the two countries, Trong said.

He described the 13th National Party Congress as amilestone in the development of the CPV and Vietnam.

The top Vietnamese leader shared the currentdifficulties facing Cuba and expressed his belief that under the leadership ofthe PCC, led by Raul Castro, the Cuban people will overcome all challenges,complete the socio-economic update policy set at the sixth and seventh NationalParty Congresses, and successfully organise the eighth National Party Congressof the PCC scheduled for April 2021.

For his part, Raul Castro praised the prestige,role, and major contributions of Party General Secretary and President Trong toVietnam’s cause of national construction and defence and the Vietnam-Cubaspecial friendship.

He noted his belief that under the leadership ofthe CPV, led by Trong, the Vietnamese people will successfully materialiseguidelines set at the 13th National Party Congress and reap more fruit insocialism building.

Raul Castro spoke highly of the valuable supportof the Vietnamese Party, State, and people to their Cuban counterparts,especially in ensuring food security in Cuba through rice supplies andeffective cooperation in agriculture and other spheres.

The Cuban Party, State, and people will makeall-out efforts to preserve and promote the special friendship, he affirmed.

On this occasion, the two leaders also exchangedinvitations to visit their respective countries./.