The Cuban Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Information and Technology and the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the People (ICAP) issued a special set of stamps on December 6 to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties with Vietnam, on December 2.

The stamps, designed by Ricardo Monnar, portray the national flags of Cuba and Vietnam, symbolising the solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two countries. They also show images of Vietnamese bamboo and the Cuban King palm tree, which are symbols of resilience and the heroic spirit of both countries’ peoples.

On addressing the ceremony in Havana, Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ana Teresita Gonzalez reviewed the relationship between both countries over the past five decades and thanked Vietnam for supporting Cuba for asking the US to lift its embargo on Cuba and helping the country to develop its rice growing industry, which has helped the Cuban government to ensure food security.

She confirmed that the Cuban Party, State and people will continue to expand their ties with Vietnam.

Also present at the event was the Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba, Vu Chi Cong, who stated that the stamps with images of bamboo and a palm tree symbolise the spirit and characters of both peoples.

Earlier, on December 2, the Vietnam Post and Telecoms Corporation issued stamps with images of the lotus flower and the Cuban butterfly, the mariposa, which represent the Vietnamese and Cuban peoples./.