The First Secretary of the Communist Party and President of Cuba, Raul Castro, hosted a reception on June 18 for a Vietnamese Party delegation led by Pham Quang Nghi, Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party’s Committee.

The Cuban leader affirmed his wish to increase the exchange of experience and enhance socio-economic cooperation between the two countries while sharing views on international issues of mutual concern.

The Vietnamese official informed his host of the outcomes of his visit to Cuba, confirming the Vietnamese people’s continuous affection for the Cuban people and their determination to deepen bilateral ties.

Previously, Nghi attended a working session with the Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca, during which he stressed that Vietnam was keen to elevate its economic and trade ties with Cuba to the same level as their bilateral political relations.

The minister, who is also the co-chair of the two countries’ inter-governmental committee, said that Cuba was willing to welcome Vietnamese investors, especially in the Mariel Special Economic Zone.

He expressed his hope that the two sides would identify specific steps for the implementation of an agreement on bilateral cooperation during the upcoming third meeting of the inter-governmental committee in Hanoi.

The delegation left Cuba for Hanoi on June 19.-VNA