Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung is welcomed at José Martí International Airport (Photo: VNA)

(VOVworld) - Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung landed in Havana on Wednesday beginning his two-day official visit to Cuba at the invitation of President of the State Council and Council of Ministers Raul Castro Ruz. On Thursday, he is scheduled to meet with the Speaker of the Cuban Parliament, visit the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), the Cuban-Vietnamese Friendship Association and the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba and lay wreathe at the President Ho Chi Minh Monument. Later the same day, Cuban President General Raul Castro Ruz will hold the welcome ceremony and hold talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
Upon his arrival on Wednesday,  Dung held a meeting with Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, First Vice President of the Council of the State and the Council of Ministers of Cuba. Dung said Vietnam is willing to cooperate and assist Cuba in the areas of its strength. He said tightening the special Vietnam-Cuba bond will help foster Cuba’s relations with East Asia and Vietnam’s relations with Latin America.The two leaders encouraged their Vietnamese and Cuban ministries and agencies to realise the Political Consultation mechanism between their foreign ministries, work closely together on regional and international issues, and support each other at multilateral forums. They said both countries need to boost their economic cooperation to be on a par with their fine political relations and match potential.They showed determination to effectively implement agreements reached at the 31^st session of the Vietnam-Cuban Inter-government Committee held in Hanoi in September 2013. Miguel Diaz-Canel proposed Vietnam continue assisting Cuba in agriculture development.Nguyen Tan Dung voiced Vietnam’s commitment to provide additional assistance for the second phase of maize, soybean and aquaculture projects in Cuba.

The two leaders also discussed measures to boost Vietnam-Cuba cooperation in health care, biotechnology, oil and gas, construction, tourism, electronics, and telecommunications.

They said the signing of a number of agreements in these fields during the visit will perfect the legal framework for comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.