Hanoi (VNA) –National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s upcoming visit to Cuba will reaffirm Vietnam’s great attention to reinforcing and promoting the special solidarityand loyal friendship with Cuba, and fostering cooperation between the twolegislatures as well as the bilateral partnership in all fields, according toChairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha.

The visit is made onthe occasion of the 60th founding anniversary of the Cuban Committeefor Solidarity with South Vietnam, and the 50th anniversary of Cuban leader Fidel Castro Ruz’s first visit to Vietnam and the liberated zone in South of Vietnam when the war was going on.

Cuba was the firstLatin American country to set up diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (December2, 1960), the first in the world to recognise the National Liberation Front of SouthVietnam and to accept the representative delegation from it (July 1962), as well as the first to send its ambassador to the front's Central Committee (March 1969).

Despite the longgeographical distance, the relationship between the two Parties, States andpeoples is rare in the world. Vietnamese people always remember Cubanleader Fidel’s saying “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed blood”.

Amid difficulties,Cuba sent thousands of engineers, workers, doctors and experts to Vietnam, whilehelping train thousands of Vietnamese students, providing Vietnam with a lot ofequipment, materials, machinery, food and foodstuff, along with aids to Vietnamto build five important socio-economic projects, most of which are still operating.

Over the past 60years, the two nations have stood by each other during their strugglesfor independence and liberation as well as national construction andsocialism building.

Although the world situation has seen many ups and downs, the traditionalsolidarity and special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba continues to bepromoted and strengthened in all channels in a substantial manner. In this,the Party-to-Party relations play the oriening role, reinforcing the mutual trustand political foundation for the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides haveregularly exchanged delegations and visits in various forms and at all levels,especially the high level. The Vietnam-Cuba Trade Agreement took effect fromApril, 2020, with many new trade preferential policies, creating favourableconditions for the import-export activities between the two countries.

Particularly, the cooperationbetween the two NAs has received great attention and made importantcontributions to the promotion of the bilateral relations as well as thesolidarity between the two peoples.

Amid the COVID-19pandemic, in May 2020, the Vietnamese NA presented 30,000 masks to the Cuban NA,along with a number of IT equipment to enhance the operational efficiency of theCuban NA. The two NAs have established their Friendship Parliamentarian Groupswith each other.

Speaking to VietnamNews Agency prior to the visit, Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando NicolásHernández Guillén affirmed that the visit holds a significant meaning, as it willbe made by one of the top leaders of Vietnam. It carries historicalimportance, he said, noting that the Vietnamese NA leader’s entourage who arerepresentatives from many sectors will contribute to further bolstering the partnership between the two countries.

The ambassador said that within the framework of the visit, NA Chairman Huewill deliver a speech at the Cuban NA on April 19, the Girón Victory Day (April19, 1961-2023) during the first session of the 10th Cuban NA whichwas elected on March 26. He held that this willbe a historical event with special meaning, reflecting the “extremely special”relationship between Cuba and Vietnam.

According to Ha, leadersof the legislatures of Vietnam and Cuba are expected to sign an agreement on theinter-parliamentary cooperation mechanism between the two NAs, aiming tostrengthen experience and mutual support at regional and international forums,while fostering coordination in supervising theimplementation of cooperation deals between the two countries, thus making thebilateral relations more substantial and effective.

Regarding the message that NA Chairman Hue will extend in his speech at theCuban NA, Ha said that the leader will reaffirm the solidarity with Cuban people andsupport to the economic updating process of Cuba, and share Vietnam’s experienceduring its “Doi Moi” (Renewal) cause, affirming that the two countries willstay close to each other for independence, freedom, peace and development ineach country.

Ha said that Hue’s upcoming visit will be the highest-level visit to Cuba and LatinAmerican region in 2023, aiming to realise the foreign policies announced at the13th National Party Congress. He will be the first foreign leaderto visit Cuba after the country’s elections of the new NA, Ha added./.