Cuban President Raul Castro Receives Vietnam General Secretary of the Communist Party

Cuban President Raul Castro Ruz awards Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong the Jose Marti award in Havana. The two countries share a legacy of anti-imperialism and socialism., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Raúl receives Communist Party
of Vietnam General Secretary

Claudia Fonseca Sosa

Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba's Central Committee and President of the Councils of Ministers and State, received, on April 9, Nguyen Phu Trong, Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary, who was making an official and friendship visit to Cuba.

During the fraternal meeting, which reflected the historic relations between the two countries, the two leaders discussed several issues of international importance, as well as challenges the two parties face in the construction of socialism in their respective countries.

The distinguished guest was accompanied by Pham Quang, a member of the Party's Political Bureau and others participating in the Vietnamese delegation. Also representing Cuba were José Ramón Machado Ventura, Second Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba's Central Committee and Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers, as well as other Party and government leaders.

Following the conversation, the Vietnamese Party General Secretary was awarded the José Martí Order, the highest honor conferred by the Republic of Cuba.

NGUYEN PHU TRONG HONORS CUBAN & VIETNAMESE FOREFATHERS

Nguyen Phu Trong, Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary, placed a floral wreath on the José Martí Memorial in Havana's Plaza de la Revolución, accompanied by José Ramón Balaguer Cabrera, a member of the Communist Party of Cuba's Secretariat.

Also attending the ceremony were members of the Vietnamese delegation who additionally honored Ho Chi Minh in a city park bearing his name, located in the Nuevo Vedado neighborhood.

There Nguyen Phu Trong had a friendly exchange with children, secondary school students and elders in the community, saying he was gratified to know of the monument's existence in Havana, a testament to the respect Cubans feel for the Vietnamese revolutionary leader and his legacy, which has been recognized as universal by UNESCO.

The visiting leader emphasized that Ho Chi Minh does not belong solely to Vietnam, but to Cuba as well, and to all progressive peoples around the world. He embodies the essence, the determination and the ideals of Vietnam which in many ways, he said, coincide with José Martí's thinking.