Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Raul Castro, former First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (Photo: VNA)

In the letter, Mr. Trong congratulated Cuba for the success of the 8th National Party Congress and said Mr. Castro’s decision not to run for the election reflects his trust in new Cuban leaders.

Expressing admiration for Mr. Castro’s glorious revolutionary career, Mr. Trong applauded him for his wholehearted dedication to the Party, Fatherland, and revolution in service of the people, making great contributions to the revolutionary cause and socialism building in heroic Cuba.

The Vietnamese Party leader described Mr. Castro as a close and trustworthy friend of the Party, State and people of Vietnam over the past more than 60 years, who has inherited, developed and deepened the special friendship, fraternal solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and mutual trust between Vietnam and Cuba.
He reiterated the wish and determination of the Party, State and people of Vietnam to further consolidate and deepen special friendship between the two Parties and countries.

On Tuesday, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Thanh Tung handed over congratulatory letters, messages and gifts of the Communist Party of Vietnam to the Communist Party of Cuba following the success of Cuba's 8th National Party Congress, which closed a day earlier.

The Vietnamese Ambassador presented a number of gifts, including machines in service of the information work to Cuba, saying the congratulatory messages of Vietnamese Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong vividly demonstrate the solidarity between the Parties, States and people of Vietnam and Cuba, as well as their joint wish for enhanced special relationship.