The two State leaders briefed each other on recent developments in their respective countries and discussed measures to strengthen their traditional friendship and cooperation as well as other issues of mutual concern.

President Raul Castro expressed his delight at the official visit by State President Nguyen Minh Triet and his high level delegation and his admiration at Vietnam’s great achievements in its construction and development. He confirmed that Cuba attaches great importance to Vietnam’s development experiences and to strengthening its ties of solidarity, brotherhood and co-operation with Vietnam. He thanked the Vietnamese Party, State and people for consistently supporting Cuba.

State President Triet conveyed the best regards from the Vietnamese Party and State leaders to Fidel Castro, President Raul and other Cuban leaders and reaffirmed Vietnam’s support for Cuba’s revolutionary cause. He praised Cuba’s achievements in recent years during the US imposed embargo, and coping with the negative impact of the global financial crisis and natural disasters.

Mr Triet said that Vietnam will provide Cuba with 3,000 tonnes of rice and some Vietnamese businesses and organisations have also donated studying equipment to Cuba.

The two leaders agreed to improve the operational efficiency of the Inter-Government Committee on economic, trade, science and technology cooperation to make full use of the potential the two countries hold, especially in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, the oil and gas industry, bio-technologies, construction and tourism. They praised the signing of an agreement on Vietnam’s medium-term programme to help Cuba produce food to ensure the country’s food security in the next few years. The ministries and businesses of both countries should implement previously signed cooperative agreements and find new cooperative methods in line with each country’s abilities to develop economic and trade cooperation on par with the fine political relationship, both leaders stated.

They expressed their delight at the close cooperation in recent times and promised to continue supporting each other at international forums, such as the UN, the Non-aligned Movement and the Central Asian and Latin American Cooperative Forum.

After the talks, a ceremony was held to bestow the Order of Jose Martin, Cuba’s highest award for foreign heads of states and governments, upon State President Nguyen Minh Triet.

As scheduled, on the evening of September 28, President Triet will attend and deliver a speech at the Vietnamese-Cuban Business Forum.