The 56th anniversary of Vietnam-Cuba diplomatic relationship and Cuba’s 58th National Day were marked with a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on December 28.

At the ceremony, Vice Chairwoman of the HCM City People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Thu shared sympathy with Cuban friends over the death of President Fidel Castro. 

She stressed that Cuban people’s strong will and perseverance in the struggle against dictatorship nearly six decades ago is not only the pride of Cuban people and Latin Americans but also a source of great encouragement to Vietnamese people in the resistance war against imperialism to reunify the country.

Vietnam is one of the first countries establishing diplomatic relationship with Cuba (December 2, 1960) and the relationship has been ever growing since then.

Thu affirmed the Vietnam-Cuba relationship has reached a new level while bilateral cooperation is being intensified. Vietnam is one of Cuba’s economic big partners and its biggest rice supplier while Cuba is assisting Vietnam in transport, biotechnology and agriculture.

Speaking at the ceremony, Bernabe Garcia Valido, Cuba’s  Consul General in HCM City, said the Vietnam-Cuba relationship has been tested and nurtured through wars and ups and downs in the world situation.

In the future, Cuba wishes the relationship between the two countries will develop in depth, bringing practical benefits to people of the two countries, he said.

VNA