Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defense, chaired a welcome ceremony on Tuesday morning at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense for Roberto Legra Sotolongo, Chief of General Staff and Deputy Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, who is in Vietnam for an official visit between October 19 and 28.

The two sides held talks shortly after the welcome ceremony in Hanoi.

During the talks, Deputy Minister Cuong welcomed Sotolongo to visit Vietnam, saying his trip proves the close relations between the army forces of Vietnam and Cuba and the two countries as a whole.

The visit takes place at a time when the two nations are celebrating major milestones, including the 60th anniversary of Cuba's establishment of the Committee for Solidarity with South Vietnam, now known as the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, the 50th anniversary of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro Ruz's first visit to Vietnam and to the liberated zone in South Vietnam in wartime.

Deputy Minister Cuong said Sotolongo’s visit would contribute to ramping up the Vietnam-Cuba defense cooperation in a practical, long-term, and effective manner in line with the common perception of the two countries’ senior leaders.

For his part, Sotolongo thanked Vietnam for always accompanying and supporting Cuba and emphasized the strong relationship between the two countries and armies. 

He vowed to do his utmost to deepen the relationship between Cuba and Vietnam.

The two sides also agreed that the two countries’ leaders attach much importance to their defense cooperation, which is one of the important pillars of their relations, contributing to preserving their revolutionary achievements in accordance with their demands and strengths.

They reached a consensus on enhancing the exchange of delegations, especially high-ranking ones, maintaining the sharing of professional experience, and increasing the cooperation in Party building and political issues based on their signed memorandum of understanding.

They agreed to effectively deploy defense collaboration in line with the needs, capabilities, and conditions of each country, while boosting cooperation in military medicine, training, and military and defense-related legislation.

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