A special art performance by artists from the Vietnam Singing, Dancing and Music Theatre opened the Vietnam Week in Cuba at the Mella Opera House in Havana on May 31.

The event, a combination between traditional and modern arts, is part of various activities to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Cuba (December 2).

Addressing the event, Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Anh Tuan emphasised the long-lasting solidarity, friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba.

Cuban Culture Minister Abel Prieto said that the organisation of the Vietnam Week in Cuba is a chance for both Vietnamese and Cuban people, particularly the youth, to increase cultural exchange. The event also marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, the 120th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh and the millennium anniversary of Hanoi.

Also on the same day, a photo exhibition themed “Vietnam: Land and people” opened at the Cuban Revolutionary Museum. On display are nearly 100 photos, depicting solidarity, fraternal friendship between Vietnam and Cuba, as well as Vietnam’s culture, people, landscapes, economic achievements in Doi moi process, industrialisation and modernsation.

During the Vietnam Week in Cuba, which lasts till June 3 and is organised by the Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Vietnamese Embassy, a Vietnam film week also takes place./.