The talks took place right after a welcome reception hosted by General Phan Van Giang for the Cuban minister earlier the same day.
At the meeting, Defense Minister Phan Van Giang spoke highly of the significance of the official visit to Vietnam by General Álvaro López Miera and the Cuban delegation when the two countries are celebrating the 60th founding anniversary of the Cuban Committee for Solidarity with South Vietnam (September, 1963 - 2023), the predecessor of the present Cuba - Vietnam Friendship Association, and the 50th anniversary of Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s first visit to Vietnam and the liberated zone in the South of Vietnam (September, 1973 - 2023).
The Vietnamese defense chief confirmed that over the past six decades, the special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba has been constantly consolidated and developed and become a symbol of the era. He believed that the success of the visit will contribute to consolidating the special friendship between the two countries and militaries.
    |
 |
|
General Phan Van Giang (third from right) speaks at the event. |
Gen. Giang shared with the Cuban people difficulties and challenges they are facing due to the influence of the embargo and the recent loss of lives and property caused by incidents, and natural disasters. He affirmed that the Party, State, people and military of Vietnam will never forget Cuba's support during the most difficult period of the past struggle for national liberation and the national construction in peace time, and that Vietnam will always stand side by side with and support Cuba in building and developing a beautiful and heroic country.
Congratulating Cuba on the successful election of the 10th National Assembly, Gen. Giang emphasized that it is the victory of the Cuban revolution, demonstrating the solidarity and consensus of the Cuban people. He expressed his belief that the country will soon overcome all difficulties, challenges and develop prosperously. He took this occasion to express thanks to the Party, State, the Ministry of Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces for their recognition and presenting Cuban State’s noble orders to incumbent and former leaders of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for their contribution to the relations of the two nations and militaries during the Vietnam visit of the head of the Political Directorate of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.
|
|
 |
|
The Cuban delegation at the talks |
For his part, Gen. Álvaro López Miera recalled his visit to Vietnam in 2019 and expressed his sentiment for the country and its people.
He shared with Gen. Giang the difficulties and challenges that Cuba is confronting. He thanked Vietnam for its assistance to Cuba and underlined the close-knit brotherhood between the two countries, militaries and the importance of this ties.
The Cuban general hoped that Cuba and Vietnam will continue to maintain and enhance cooperation in the areas that the two sides have capacity and need, particularly exchange of delegations and experts, personnel training, and historical memory preservation. He confirmed that he will do his utmost to deepen the relationship between Cuba and Vietnam.
|
|
 |
|
Gen. Phan Van Giang and Sr. Lt. Gen. Álvaro López Miera sign the cooperation plan for the 2023-2025 period. |
At the talks, the two sides assessed that the bilateral defense ties have always been one of the pillars in the two countries’ relations and an example to help boost cooperation in other fields.
On the basis of the signed agreements, especially the cooperation plan for the 2020-2022 period, the two sides have collaborated and reaped outstanding achievements in such fields as all-level delegation exchange, Party and political work, defense industry, personnel training, military medicine, and agriculture. They have effectively disseminated information about the special friendship between the two parties, states, militaries and completed the book “60-year history of Vietnam-Cuba defense ties.”
|
|
 |
|
Delegates at the talks in a joint photo |
Regarding the cooperation in the coming time, the two sides agreed to further their cooperation in exchange of delegations, especially high level ones, sharing of expertise and experience, exchange of young officers, defense industry, personnel training, military medicine, Party and political work, among others.
At the end of the talks, General Phan Van Giang and Sr. Lt. Gen. Álvaro López Miera signed the cooperation plan for the 2023-2025 period.
* On the afternoon the same day, meeting with visiting Sr. Lt. Gen. Álvaro López Miera, Director of the General Department of Political Affairs (GDP) of the Vietnam People’s Army General Luong Cuong confirmed that it was the revolutionary ideals and aspiration for independence and freedom that made Cuba and Vietnam, locating in two different hemispheres, become close friends.
|
|
 |
|
General Luong Cuong (right) shakes hands with Sr. Lt. Gen. Álvaro López Miera. |
The Vietnamese GDP chief said that in the current context, the two countries should strengthen solidarity, mutual support and assistance, especially in political and ideological education, fostering of revolutionary ideals, patriotism and love for socialism for troops and improvement of leadership capacity and combat strength of Party organizations in the military.
According to Gen. Luong Cuong, attention has been paid to cooperation in Party and political work in the military with a focus on training, dissemination, sharing of experience. He also mentioned the completion of the book “60-year history of Vietnam-Cuba defense ties,” contributing to educating young generation and promoting the efficiency of dissemination about the special friendship between the two nations and militaries.
He added that on the basis of the outcomes of the aforementioned talks, the GDP will direct authorized agencies and units to carry out the cooperation contents in a practical and effective manner.
|
|
 |
|
An overview of the meeting between Gen. Luong Cuong and Sr. Lt. Gen. Álvaro López Miera |
Through the guest, Gen. Luong Cuong invited the head of the Political Directorate of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces to soon visit Vietnam again.
Given the special friendship between the two militaries and peoples and new developments of Vietnam whenever he visits the country, Gen. Álvaro López Miera hoped that the two militaries will bring into play the friendship to effectively implement the cooperation plan for the 2023-2025 period, contributing to the two countries’ development and the maintenance of peace, security and prosperity in the world.
He affirmed that the military and people of Cuba always promote the spirit “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood” as stressed by Cuban leader Fidel Castro and are determined to join hands with Vietnam to tighten such a special friendship.
* Earlier the same day, Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Defense Minister had a meeting with the visiting Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.
|
|
 |
|
Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong (right) meets with visiting Sr. Lt. Gen. Álvaro López Miera |
Gen. Cuong congratulated Cuba on its successful organization of the 10th legislature election.
Via Gen. Álvaro López Miera, Gen. Cuong sent best regards and invitation to visit Vietnam at an appropriate time in the near future to the Chief of the General Staff of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.
At the meeting, Gen. Cuong highlighted the development in the bilateral defense ties and the effective cooperation in different fields in line with the documents and deals signed and reached by the two countries and militaries’ leaders.
|
|
 |
|
Gen. Cuong presents a souvenir to his Cuban guest. |
The Cuban official informed Gen. Cuong of his talks with Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang. He wished to bolster the bilateral defense ties in fields that both sides have strength and demand. He also believed that the defense cooperation between the two countries will develop more effectively on the basis of the freshly-signed cooperation plan for the 2023-2025 period.
Gen. Cuong said that the success of the talks was a foundation for the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army to direct relevant agencies and units to practically and effectively implement the contents agreed by the two ministers at the talks and in line with the cooperation plan for the 2023-2025 period.
Translated by Mai Huong