Havana (VNA)ꦏ – President Tran Dai Quang thanked Cuban leaders and people for their solidarity and valuable support to Vietnam over the past five decades during talks with President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers Raul Castro in Havana on November 17.

The talks took place following a grand welcome ceremony for the Vietnamese President, who is paying an official visit to Cuba from November 15-17. Raul Castro congratulated Vietnam on its all-around and significant achievements over the past three decades, saying that Cuba highly values Vietnam’s experience and lessons during the national construction and defence. Host and guest agreed that the two countries hold great potential of cooperation in the fields of economy-trade, investment, science-technology, agro-fisheries, processing industry and consumer goods, energy, medicine-pharmaceuticals, education-training. They vowed to continue maintaining and improving the efficiency of existing cooperation mechanisms, including the theoretical seminar between the two Parties, the Inter-Governmental Committee, the defence deputy ministerial-level strategic dialogue, and deputy foreign ministerial-level consultation. The two countries will review and gradually refine legal framework for economic affiliation with a priority given to accelerating negotiations towards the signing of a new-generation trade agreement which will replace the one signed in 1996, making it easier for bilateral economic-trade and investment activities. On specific areas of cooperation, the two leaders agreed to instruct improving the efficiency of on-going and future projects in agro-fisheries, facilitating market navigation of both countries’ businesses, and launching joint projects on tourism infrastructure, construction materials and consumer goods. Vietnam and Cuba will consider the possibility of establishing appropriate mechanisms to enhance collaboration in researching, testing and manufacturing pharmaceuticals as well as boosting ties across culture, sports, tourism, training, transport, justice, and finance-banking, among others. Both sides pledged to continue working closely together at international and multilateral forums to protect their legitimate rights and interests, enhance each country’s prestige and position while making positive contributions to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the two regions and the world. They shared the common stance on supporting the peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of respect to international law. On the occasion, President Quang announced Vietnam’s gift of 5,000 tonnes of rice to Cuba, and invited Castro to return to Vietnam for an official visit soon. The Cuban leader accepted the invitation with pleasure. Following the talks, host and guest witnessed the signing of a governmental-level agreement on veterinary cooperation and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment. In the evening the same day, the Council of State of Cuba hosted a ceremony to award Jose Marti Order – the noblest distinction of the Cuban State - to President Tran Dai Quang. Speaking at the event, Quang expressed his sincere and profound thanks to Cuban leaders and people for standing side by side with the Vietnamese nation in the struggle for national independence and re-unification, as well as the current national construction and defence. He took the occasion to express his determination to work together with the two countries’ leaders and people to continue fostering the special and exemplary relationship between Vietnamese and Cuban Parties, States and peoples.-VNA