Defense Minister receives Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces

(Bqp.vn) - On June 22, at the Headquarters of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang chaired a welcome ceremony for Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera, Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, who is on an official visit to Vietnam.

General Phan Van Giang (L) welcoming Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera.

General Phan Van Giang and Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera inspecting the Guards of Honor of the Vietnam People’s Army.

Vietnamese officers welcoming Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera.

General Phan Van Giang welcoming the Cuban delegation.

All delegates in a joint photo.

The talks took place right after the welcome ceremony hosted by General Phan Van Giang for the Cuban minister earlier the same day.

During the talks.

At the talks, General Phan Van Giang spoke highly of the significance of the official visit to Vietnam by Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera and his delegation when the two countries are celebrating the 60th founding anniversary of the Cuban Committee for Solidarity with the South of Vietnam (September 1963), the predecessor of the present Cuba - Vietnam Friendship Association, and the 50th anniversary of Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s first visit to the liberated zone in Quang Tri province (September 1973). General Phan Van Giang confirmed that over the past six decades, the special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba has been constantly consolidated and developed and become a symbol of the era. He believed that the success of the visit will contribute to consolidating the special friendship between the two countries and militaries as well.

General Phan Van Giang speaking at the talks.

General Phan Van Giang shared the difficulties and challenges Cuba is facing. He affirmed that the Party, State, people and People’s Army of Vietnam will never forget Cuba’s support during the most difficult period of the past struggle for national liberation and the national construction in peace time, and that Vietnam will always stand shoulder to shoulder with and support Cuba in building and developing a beautiful and heroic country.

Congratulating Cuba on the successful election of the 10th National Assembly, General Phan Van Giang emphasized that it is the victory of the Cuban revolution, demonstrating the solidarity and consensus of the Cuban people. He expressed his belief that the country will soon overcome all difficulties, challenges and develop prosperously.

He took this occasion to thank the Party, State, the Ministry of Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces for their recognition and presenting Cuban State’s noble orders to present and former leaders of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for their contribution to the relations of the two nations and militaries during the Vietnam visit of the head of the Political Directorate of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera speaking at the talks.

For his part, Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera thanked Vietnam for always assisting his country, and stressed the importance of the relations between the two countries in general and the two armies in particular. He hoped that Cuba and Vietnam will continue to maintain and enhance cooperation in the areas that the two sides have capacity and need, particularly exchange of delegations and experts, personnel training, and historical memory preservation. He confirmed that he will do his utmost to deepen the relationship between Cuba and Vietnam.

At the talks, the two sides assessed that the bilateral defense ties have always been one of the pillars in the two countries’ relations and an example to help boost cooperation in other fields. On the basis of the signed agreements, especially the cooperation plan for the 2020 - 2022 period, the two sides have collaborated and reaped outstanding achievements in such fields as all-level delegation exchange, Party and political work, defense industry, personnel training, military medicine, and agriculture.

Regarding the cooperation in the coming time, the two sides agreed to further strengthen their cooperation in exchange of delegations, especially high level ones, sharing of expertise and experience, exchange of young officers, defense industry, personnel training, military medicine, etc.

General Phan Van Giang and Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera signing the cooperation plan for the 2023 - 2025 period.

Delegates in a joint photo.

At the end of the talks, General Phan Van Giang and Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera signed the cooperation plan for the 2023 - 2025 period.