Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien hosted a reception on July 22 for outgoing Cuban Military, Naval and Air Attache Col. Juan Miguel Garcia Montano, and his successor Col. Román Osvaldo Jiménez Ortega.

The Deputy Minister said he was delighted to know that the UN General Assembly on June 23 adopted a resolution on the need of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the US against Cuba. Sharing with Cuba's current difficulties and challenges, Chien affirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance on supporting the ending of the embargo against Cuba and will continue to vote in favour of related resolutions, believing that Cuba will surmount all hardships and challenges, and firmly advance on the socialism building path. Vietnam will forever bear in mind the great support of the Party, Government, people and armed forces of Cuba for the country’s revolutionary cause and national construction process, and always reminds its future generations to preserve and uphold the Vietnam-Cuba traditional friendship, the officer stressed. Chien thanked the Cuban side for providing medicine and sending experienced medical workers to assist Vietnam when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, as well as its supply of vaccines and vaccine production technology transfer in the coming time even though Cuba is also facing numerous difficulties. The assistance reflects the spirit of fraternal comradeship, consistent friendship and solidarity between the two countries, he stressed, believing that Vietnam and Cuba will become a symbol of international cooperation in battling global challenges. The bilateral relations have been strengthened over the past time despite adverse impacts of COVID-19, as the two nations have maintained effective cooperation in multiple fields, notably national defence industry, training and military medicine, he said, adding that a number of important documents in defence cooperation have been inked and adopted.

For his part, Col. Garcia Montano thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence for its close coordination, support and optimal conditions for him to well fulfill his tasks and pledged to continue promoting defence cooperation between the two countries.

On behalf of Vietnam's Ministry of National Defence, Chien presented the token of medicalsupplies and equipment worth 5 billion VND (217,300 USD) to Cuba’sMinistry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces to help the country fightagainst COVID-19./.