Hanoi (VNA) –Vietnam and Cuba have issued a joint statement on the occasion of the Statevisit to Cuba by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong from March 28-31.

The visit is made at theinvitation of First Secretary of the CommunistParty of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee and President of the Council of State andthe Council of Ministers of Cuba General Raul Castro Ruz, the joint statementsaid.

During hisstay in Cuba, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with FirstSecretary of the PCC Central Committee and President of the Council of Stateand the Council of Ministers of Cuba General Raul Castro Ruz. He met withSecond Secretary of the PCC Central Committee Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, Politburomember and President of the Cuban National Assembly Esteban Lazo Hernandez, andPolitburo member and First Vice President of the Cuban Council of Stateand the Council of Ministers Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez.

Vietnameseand Cuban leaders shared their views that the special friendship and solidaritybetween Vietnam and Cuba is a symbol of era and an invaluable asset of theParties and people of the two countries.

Theyaffirmed their resolve to carry forward the bilateral friendship which wasfostered by President Ho Chi Minh and Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro.

The leaders agreed on the need to expand and deepen the friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the twocountries, thus actively contributing to their national construction anddefence, and to maintaining peace, stability, and development in the region andthe world.

During the talks, they expressed their joy at the flourishing bilateralrelations between the two nations, and affirmed their determination to turn thespecial relations into a new development period, on the basis of politicaltrust.

They stressed that the two sides should work closely to improve the efficiencyof bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation, while comparing theirnotes on international and regional issues of common concern.

The Vietnamese Party Chief congratulated Cuba on its recent successful local and national assembly elections, expressing his belief thatCuba will continue implementing successfully the process of updating the socialismeconomic model, opening a new development stage of the process to build asovereign, independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous and sustainablestate.

He reiterated Vietnam’s consistent stance on supportingCuba’s struggle for immediate and unconditional removal of economic, trade andfinancial sanctions against the country, and efforts to normalise the Cuba-US relationson the basis of equality, and respect for sovereignty, independence andpolitical institutions of each country.

Vietnam appreciated the prestige and role of Cuba in the Latin American andCaribbean regions, and in the international arena as well, he stated.

[Party chief Ngu🌠yen Phu Trong has talks with Cuban leader Raul Castro]

First Secretary of the PCC CentralCommittee and President of the Councils of State and the Council of Ministersof Cuba RaulCastro congratulated Vietnam on its prominent achievements in its Doi moi (renewal)process initiated by the CPV.

He spoke highly of Vietnam’s peaceful foreign policy and internationalprestige; its efforts to protect independence and sovereignty, and to promoteinternational integration; and the country’s contributions to peace, stability,cooperation and development in the Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific regions, andin the world, affirming that Cuba supports and believes that Vietnam willcontinue obtaining greater achievements in the coming time.

The two leaders agreed that the two sides shouldmaintain regularly meetings at all levels, as well as those to discuss andshare experience related to state leadership, socio-economic management, andParty building.

The two sides stressed the importance ofbilateral cooperation mechanisms like the exchange and cooperation agreementbetween the CPV and the PCC, the two Parties’ theoretical workshops, theInter-governmental Committee on economic, scientific and technical cooperation,and the political consultation between the two foreign ministries. Theyexpressed their resolve to enhance the effectiveness of these mechanisms.

General Secretary Trong and President Raul Castroemphasised the significance of enhancing economic partnership. They highlyvalued the two sides’ finalisation of the negotiation on a new trade agreement,considering this a basis for them to continue expanding economic and tradeties. Cuba also supports the increase of Vietnam’s investment in the country.

The two sides will consider their potential toboost cooperation in priority fields such as energy, telecommunication,tourism, construction, healthcare services, industry, agriculture,pharmaceutical, biotechnology, transport, and other spheres.

Raul Castro thanked the Vietnamese Party, Stateand Government for freeing the Cuban Government from its debt to the VietnameseGovernment, describing this as an illustration of the two countries’ special relations.

The two leaders expressed their delight at thecomplete similarities in the countries’ stance on many international issues.They stressed that international disputes need to be resolved by peaceful meanson the basis on international law and the UN Charter. They also underlined thenecessity to respect the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorialintegrity and the right to self-determination of countries, non-interference inother countries’ internal affairs, and no use of force or threat to use force.

They share the view that the increasinglytightened bilateral links will help expand Vietnam’s cooperation with LatinAmerican and Caribbean nations and Cuba’s cooperation with Asian-Pacificcountries.

They re-affirmed the validity of the fundamentalprinciples of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), stressing that the targets andprinciples of NAM need to be thoroughly respected. They also applauded NAM’s contributionsto the protection of the principles of international law.

Both sides renewed the commitment to promotinginternational peace and security and disarmament, especially nucleardisarmament. They expressed their delight at the two countries’ signing of andparticipation in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

They also agreed to effectively implement theSustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda, continue actively contributingto climate change response efforts.

The two leaders agreed that their countries willcontinue supporting each other at international organisations and multilateralforums, especially at the UN. They will foster cooperation and mutual supportwithin the framework of the International Meeting of Communist and Workers’Parties, the Sao Paulo Forum, and other political and social forums.

In the statement, the two sides highly valuedthe success of the State visit to Cuba by General Secretary Trong, considering ita special event amid the 45th anniversary of the first visit to Vietnam byFidel Castro Ruz, the only foreign leader visiting the newly liberated area inthe 17th Parallel in Quang Tri province of Vietnam.

General Secretary Trong invited First Secretaryand President Raul Castro to pay an official visit to Vietnam. The Cuban leaderthanked and accepted the invitation with pleasure.-VNA