NA Chairman’s visit to Cuba holds great significance: ambassador

NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (R) meets with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz during the latter's official visit to Vietnam in September 2022. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The coming official visit to Cuba by National Assembly (NA) ChairmanVuong Dinh Hue holds great significance as it will help further strengthen thetwo countries’ relations in multiple spheres as well as the ties between thetwo parliaments, said Cuba Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén.

The tripfrom April 18, to be made at the invitation of President of the NationalAssembly of the People’s Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernández, takes place onthe threshold of the 50th anniversary of Cuban leader FidelCastro's visit to the liberated zone in South Vietnam in Quang Tri province inSeptember 1973 and 60 years since the establishment of the Cuban Committee forSolidarity with South Vietnam (September 25, 1963).

Talking tothe Vietnam News Agency, Ambassador Hernández Guillén stressed that FidelCastro was the first and only foreign leader to do so.

Fidel Castro, then First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba's Central Committee and Prime Minister of Cuba, holds the flag of the Khe Sanh Corps of the Tri Thien - Hue liberation troops when visiting Quang Tri province on September 15, 1973. (Photo: VNA)

The Cuban leader’spresence in Quang Tri, located in the frontline between North and South Vietnamthen, just a few months after the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and RestoringPeace in Vietnam was signed in January 1973, and his immortal remark “ForVietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood” became symbols of the close-knitand faithful solidarity and fraternity of the two peoples for the sake of peace,national independence, democracy, and progress in the world.

Chairman Hue is scheduled to delivera speech at the Cuban parliament on April 19, which will coincide withthe anniversary of Cuba’s Giron Victory (April 19, 1961) and the opening of the10th-tenure Cuban parliament’s first session after the parliamentaryelections on March 26. It will a historical event only occurring because it is theVietnam - Cuba relationship and bilateral ties are extremely special, accordingto the diplomat.

The two countries boast fraternity,solidarity, and consistent mutual support during the struggle for independence,sovereignty safeguarding, and development, he noted, elaborating that Cubasupported Vietnam’s fight for national liberation, and when it is facingdifficulties at present, Vietnam has also given assistance to and shown itssolidarity with the Cuban people.

Cuba Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (Photo: VNA)

Cuba and Vietnam have many cooperationfields of economic complementarity. The Southeast Asian nation has supplied anumber of essential commodities, especially rice, along with many technologicalproducts for Cuba, helping the Latin American country guarantee food securityand stabilise equipment supply. Meanwhile, Cuba also produces many world-famousproducts, including traditional ones like cigar and rum and products of thegenetic, biological, and pharmaceutical technologies, HernándezGuillén went on.

Talking aboutparliamentary cooperation, he noted the two legislative bodies boastlong-standing and extensive relations, via which Vietnam can boost sharing developmentexperience with Cuba.

During Chairman Hue’s visit, the twosides will also discuss many cooperation areas and sign a number of importantagreements, the diplomat added./.

VNA