Havana (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quanghad a meeting with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committeeand President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana on April 15.

The Vietnamese official congratulated Cuba on its significantachievements obtained amid numerous difficulties and challenges. He affirmedVietnam’s consistent solidarity with and support for Cuba as well as objectionto the embargo against the Caribbean nation.

He informed his host about the outcomes of his talks and workingsessions with Cuban Government leaders and made some suggestions forpushing ahead with the comprehensive, substantive, and effective cooperation betweenthe two countries.

The Deputy PM stressed the need to devise mechanisms andmeasures for tackling difficulties, further promoting bilateral economic, tradeand investment ties, and fruitfully implementing joint projects, especially inagriculture, thus helping strengthen the countries’ friendship and all-round partnerships.

Welcoming Quang on the first official visit to Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel statedthat the Cuba - Vietnam relations are special and have continually beenreinforced on the basis of mutual trust, with their strategic importanceaffirmed in the current context.

He congratulated Vietnam on its recent political - diplomatic andsocioeconomic attainments while appreciating the Vietnamese Party, Government,and people’s assistance for his country through the stable ricesupply and technical support in terms of rice and fisheries production.

The host leader praised jointventures and investment projects with Vietnamese enterprises, which have effectively contributed to Cuba’seconomic stability and development.

Cuba always pays attention to and provides optimal conditionsfor Vietnamese enterprises to do business and invest in such fields as trading,consumer goods production, renewable energy, construction material, andindustrial park infrastructure, he stated.

Miguel Diaz-Canel expressed his hope that more Vietnamese firmswill cooperate with Cuba in agriculture, food processing, energy, automobileindustry, bio-pharmaceutical production and health services to tap into eachcountry’s advantages and herald a new period of cooperation for common development.

At the meeting, Quang also conveyed Vietnamese leaders’invitation to Miguel Diaz-Canel to pay a visit to Vietnam.

Meeting with Cuban PM Manuel Marrero Cruz the same day, the visiting Deputy PMnoted that leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State always keep a close watchon Cuba's situation and share the Caribbean country’s successes as well asdifficulties and challenges on the path of national development and protection.

Vietnam, within its capacity, will continue standing side byside with and assisting Cuba, he remarked, stressing its consistent solidaritywith and support for the latter, along with objection to the embargoes againstthe country.

The Cuban PM applauded the Southeast Asian nation’s role asthe biggest Asian-Pacific investor in Cuba and the second biggest in the MarielSpecial Development Zone.

He asked the two Governments to keep enhancingcoordination in implementing high-level agreements and the outcomes of the 41st session of the Inter-Governmental Committee.

Calling on Vietnam to encourage its enterprises to increaseinvestment and business activities in Cuba, he affirmed that the CubanGovernment will work out mechanisms and measures for facilitating activities ofVietnamese firms, thereby benefiting enterprises and people of both countriesand contributing to local socio-economic development.

At the meeting with Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs BrunoRodriguez Parrilla, Deputy PM Quang said Vietnam believes that with its traditionalheroism and dauntlessness, Cuba will manage to weather difficulties andchallenges and harvest greater achievements.

The Cuban Foreign Minister appreciated the attention and support from PartyGeneral Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, other leaders, the Government, and peopleof Vietnam for his country in food and fisheries production and atinternational forums as well.

As part of the official visit, Deputy PM Quang laid floral tributes toPresident Ho Chi Minh at a park named after the late Vietnamese leader in Havana,as well as to Cuban hero Jose Marti at his monument.

He also visited Vietnamese projects at the Mariel SpecialDevelopment Zone and had a meeting with Vietnamese enterprises and people inCuba.

Quang is set to visit the Vo Thi Thang Primary School and the FidelCastro Ruz Centre, where the late Cuban leader’s legacy is preserved./.