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General Ngo Xuan Lich (right) and Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera |
At the meeting, General Ngo Xuan Lich warmly welcomed General Álvaro López Miera and the high-ranking Cuban military delegation to Vietnam and believed that the visit would contribute to promoting defense cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba in a sustainable, practical, and effective manner.
General Lich highly valued the results of the talks between the Vietnamese and Cuban military delegations held earlier and applauded practical outcomes of the bilateral defense cooperation in the past time. The host wished that the two militaries would increase cooperation activities, so as to consolidate the traditional friendship between the two militaries in particular and between the two Parties, States, and peoples of Vietnam and Cuba in general.
The senior Vietnamese and Cuban military officers also exchanged the situations of each country, discussed international issues of mutual concern, and agreed to boost the bilateral defense delegation.
In the same afternoon, Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera and the Cuban military delegation also paid a courtesy call to Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army, General Luong Cuong.
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The meeting between Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera and General Luong Cuong |
At the reception, General Luong Cuong expressed delight at the visit of Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera and the Cuban military delegation to Vietnam, saying that the visit is taking place at a time when the two countries are preparing for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Cuba diplomatic relations. General Cuong believed the visit would cement good defense cooperation as well as the close political relations between the two countries. General Cuong affirmed that Vietnam always treasures the special relationship with Cuba, which was founded and fostered by President Ho Chi Minh and President Fidel Castro. He expressed his belief that the Cuban people will continue uniting in overcoming any difficulties and challenges, firmly protecting their revolutionary achievements, and achieving more great successes.
Earlier on September 16, member of the Party Central Committee, permanent member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang hosted an official reception for Politburo member, Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Minister of the Cuban Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera and the high-ranking Cuban military delegation at the Headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense in Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang and Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera review the guards-of-honor. |
After the protocol, the senior Vietnamese and Cuban military officers co-chaired bilateral talks, during which the two sides briefed each other on political, social, economic, defense, and security situations in each country and agreed on the orientations for bilateral defense cooperation in the coming time.
The two sides affirmed that the bilateral defense cooperation, which has focused on the implementation of cooperation deals signed between the two sides and the 2017-19 defense cooperation plan, has brought about practical and fruitful outcomes as well as served as a major pillar in the Vietnam-Cuba relations.
The two sides agreed to bring into full play all available cooperation mechanisms, increase exchange of delegations at all levels, and accelerate the implementation of defense industry projects between the two countries.
General Giang affirmed that Vietnam is always willing and ready to receive Cuban defense delegations and wants to send more Vietnamese defense delegations to Cuba during the celebration of the 60th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Cuba diplomatic relations.
General Giang also noted that the Vietnamese Defense Ministry wishes to promote cooperation with Cuba in telecommunications, asking the Cuban Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces to provide favorable conditions for the Military Industry-Telecoms Group (Viettel) to soon invest in telecommunication infrastructure and information technology projects in Cuba.
The host also wished that Cuba would continue to open military medicine and military engineering courses for Vietnamese military students and send its military experts in cipher and cryptography, defense industry, and electronic warfare to Vietnam to train Vietnamese military students.
Translated by Thu Nguyen