HCM City (VNA) 𝕴– The bilateral relationship between Cuba and Vietnam continues to thrive, expanding in both breadth and depth, said Salvador Valdes Mesa, Politburo member of the Communist Party of Cuba and Vice President of Cuba, at the "Vietnam–Cuba Friendship Meeting" held in Ho Chi Minh City on April 28.

Speaking on behalf of the Party, State, Government and people of Cuba, Vice President Valdes Mesa extended congratulations to the Vietnamese people on the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 – 2025) and the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 – 2025). The Cuban Vice President said that 2025 also marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, noting the historic friendship was established and nurtured by leader Fidel Castro and President Ho Chi Minh during the challenging years of the struggle for national liberation, reunification, and the building of socialism. He highlighted Fidel Castro’s famous saying "For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its own blood" as a vivid expression of the Cuban people's affection to Vietnam during the country's struggle for national independence and reunification. Valdes Mesa emphasised that in the "Vietnam-Cuba Year of Friendship" in 2025, the two countries jointly celebrate 65 years of comprehensive and profound bilateral relations, reflected in cooperation across sectors, including agriculture, construction, healthcare, education, judicial affairs, and social organisations. The Party, State, Government and people of Cuba believe that Vietnam will achieve new milestones in its development journey and the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam scheduled for 2026 will be a success. Welcoming Vice President Valdes Mesa and the high-level Cuban delegation, Truong Thi Hien, Chairwoman of the HCM City’s Vietnam–Cuba Friendship Association, remarked that despite the geographical distance, Vietnam and Cuba are proud to share a close, loyal and sincere relationship, which has been nurtured by generations of leaders and people of both countries. She stressed the association's support to the United Nations General Assembly's resolutions calling for an immediate end to the United States' embargo against Cuba. The city’s Union of Friendship Organisations and the Vietnam–Cuba Friendship Association are working closely with the Cuban Consulate General in HCM City to host various people-to-people exchange activities, further cementing the special traditional friendship between the two nations, she added. At the meeting, representatives from Ho Chi Minh City’s Union of Friendship Organisations, Battalion 261 Giron, a symbol of Vietnam-Cuba solidarity during wartime, and former Vietnamese students in Cuba reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, and expressed their belief that the Cuban people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba, will overcome difficulties to achieve prosperity./.