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Santiago de Cuba (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong andthe high-ranking delegation of Vietnam left Santiago de Cuba on March 30 evening(local time), successfully wrapping up a State visit to Cuba.

Earlier the same day, the CPV leader visited Santiago deCuba. Joining the tour of the Cuban province was First Secretary of theCommunist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of the Council ofState and the Council of Ministers of Cuba Raul Castro Ruz, along with some Party and Stateofficials of the Latin American nation.

The Vietnamese leader visited Moncada Museum, which waspreviously a barracks and is now a museum and a school named CiudadEscolar 26 de Julio (July 26). The museum – barracks of Moncadais known for an event on July 26, 1953, when 135 anti-Batista guerillas, underthe leadership of Fidel Castro, Raul Castro and Aben Santamaria, attacked this barracks, markingthe start of the fight against dictator Batista. The museum displays a numberof photos and objects relating to this July 26 event. Notably, there is a photoof late Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Van Dong on his visit to Cuba in 1974.

In the guest book,General Secretary Trong wrote that he was touched when visiting the museum – barracksof Moncada, a famous place that has gone down in history of Cuba.

Marking the 65th anniversary of the Moncada victory (July 26, 1953), it could be affirmed that theMoncada Platform has come into the life and the ideals of independence andfreedom of Jose Marti and Fidel Castro will be immortal in the history of Cubaand Latin America, he added.

After that, the CPVchief and the Vietnamese delegation laid a wreath and paid tribute to JoseMarti at the tomb of the Cuban hero, who devoted his whole life to the strugglefor independence and freedom of American nations.

The delegation alsovisited the tomb of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, the founder of Cuba’srevolution, an eminent leader of Latin American nations and the movement offighting for peace, national independence, freedom and socialism, and a closecomrade and brother of the Vietnamese Party, State and people.

[Vietnam, Cuba issue joint statement]

Before leaving Havanafor Satiago de Cuba, General Secretary Trong met with Cuban Hero and Presidentof the Cuban Institute for Friendshipwith the Peoples (ICAP) Fernando Gonzalez and Vice Chairman of the Cuba-VietnamFriendship Association Marta Rojas.

Briefing about thefine outcomes of his State visit to Cuba, the CPV leader said during hismeetings with the top leaders of Cuba, the two sides discussed measures todevelop the countries’ relations.

He added Vietnam and Cubaboast time-tested relations. Despite geographical distance, the two countrieshave always united and supported each other wholeheartedly in the struggle for nationalindependence in the past as well as the national development nowadays.

The Party, State andpeople of Vietnam always keep in mind the precious assistance from the Party,State and people of Cuba, he noted.

General Secretary Trongalso thanked the ICAP for holding a number of diverse activities to helpenhance bilateral ties, adding that Vietnam will do its utmost to unceasinglydevelop the friendship and fraternity between the two countries.

For his part, FernandoGonzalez described the outcomes of the two sides’ high-level meetings are avivid demonstration of the close-knit relations between Cuba and Vietnam.

He said the ICAP hascontinually coordinated with relevant agencies, organisations and theVietnamese Embassy in Cuba to bolster ties with Vietnam. He pledged that theICAP and the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association will exert every effort tocontribute to the solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the twocountries.-VNA