Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong and Cuban leader Raul Castro Ruz arrive at Antonio Maceo Airport to visit Santiago de Cuba on March 30 (local time) (Photo: VNA)

Earlier the same day, the CPV leader visited Santiago de Cuba. Joining the tour of the Cuban province was First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of Cuba Raul Castro Ruz, along with some other Cuban Party and State officials.

The Vietnamese leader visited Moncada Museum, which was previously a barracks and is now a museum and a school named Ciudad Escolar 26 de Julio (July 26). Notably, displays at the museum include a photo of late Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Van Dong on his visit to Cuba in 1974.

In the guest book, General Secretary Trong wrote that he was touched when visiting the museum – barracks of Moncada, a famous place that has gone down in history of Cuba.

Party leader Trong then laid a wreath and paid tribute to Jose Marti at the tomb of the Cuban hero, who devoted his whole life to the struggle for independence and freedom of American nations. The delegation also visited the tomb of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, the founder of Cuba’s revolution.

Before leaving Havana for Satiago de Cuba, General Secretary Trong met with Cuban Hero and President of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) Fernando Gonzalez and Vice Chairman of the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association Marta Rojas.

Briefing about the fine outcomes of his State visit to Cuba, Mr. Trong underscored that Vietnam and Cuba boast time-tested relations. Despite geographical distance, the two countries have always united and supported each other in the struggle for national independence and development.

Mr. Trong thanked the ICAP for holding a number of diverse activities to help enhance bilateral ties, adding that Vietnam will do its utmost to unceasingly develop the friendship and fraternity between the two countries. For his part, Fernando Gonzalez described the outcomes of the two sides’ high-level meetings are a vivid demonstration of the close-knit relations between Cuba and Vietnam.

He pledged that the ICAP and the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association will exert every effort to contribute to the solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two countries.