Cuba is always proud to have Vietnam as a brother country.

On the morning of September 3, General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, chaired the welcoming ceremony and held talks with Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro Lopez Miera, Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, on an official visit to Vietnam.

Welcoming the Minister and the high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba to visit and attend the ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution and National Day September 2, General Phan Van Giang affirmed that the visit is especially meaningful on the occasion of the Vietnam - Cuba Friendship Year, when the two countries celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (December 2, 1960 - December 2, 2025), contributing to further tightening the special solidarity, friendship and tradition between Vietnam and Cuba in general and the cooperative relationship between the two Ministries of National Defense in particular.

General Phan Van Giang welcomed Senior Lieutenant General Alvaro Lopez Miera.

According to Minister Phan Van Giang, over the past 65 years, the Vietnam-Cuba relationship has become an exemplary symbol of pure, loyal and strong international solidarity. Despite being half a world away, the people of the two countries have always stood shoulder to shoulder, supported each other at all times.

Vietnam will never forget Cuba's great, wholehearted and loyal support during the most difficult years of the struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as in the current cause of national construction and defense.

"The immortal saying of Leader Fidel Castro 'For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to sacrifice its blood' has become a shining symbol of the special traditional solidarity and friendship between the two countries. Affirming that this is a relationship: Pure, loyal, and strong", General Phan Van Giang emphasized.

General Phan Van Giang said that in recent times, in the overall relationship between the two countries, defense cooperation has always been one of the important pillars, contributing to promoting cooperation in other fields. Military -defense cooperation activities between the two countries have been increasingly implemented in a deep, practical and effective manner.

In the coming time, based on the signed documents, Minister Phan Van Giang suggested that the two sides focus on a number of key cooperation contents.

"Specifically: increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level delegations; maintain exchanges with young officers, vacation delegations, organize experience and expertise exchanges in areas of mutual interest; promote cooperation in Party work and political work in the Army; closely coordinate in the production of episode 6 of the documentary series 'Two hearts, one beat'; strengthen cooperation in human resource training and defense industry", General Phan Van Giang mentioned.

General Phan Van Giang emphasized that as a country that has experienced much pain and loss through wars, Vietnam consistently pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, and multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations.

Vietnam is ready to cooperate with countries and international organizations for peace, cooperation and development; persists in the "Four No's" Defense Policy; advocates the struggle to resolve all disputes and disagreements by peaceful means on the basis of international law; respects multilateral institutions, especially those led by the United Nations and ASEAN.

Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera at the meeting.

Speaking at the talks, Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera, Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, expressed his love and admiration for the beautiful country of Vietnam and was impressed with the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The achievements of the Vietnamese people over the past 80 years are a great source of encouragement and motivation for the Cuban people in the current period.

Senior Lieutenant General Álvaro López Miera affirmed that Cuba is always proud to have Vietnam as a brotherly country, expressing his readiness to promote and strengthen the relationship between the two countries' armies, contributing to developing the special traditional friendship between Vietnam and Cuba.

At the talks, the two sides discussed the world and regional situations and the armies of each country. General Phan Van Giang emphasized that as a country that has experienced much pain and loss through wars, Vietnam consistently pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations; is ready to cooperate with countries and international organizations for peace, cooperation and development; persists in the "four no's" defense policy, advocating the struggle to resolve all disputes and disagreements by peaceful means on the basis of international law; respects multilateral institutions, especially those led by the United Nations and ASEAN.

At the end of the talks, the two sides signed a three-year defense cooperation plan for the 2026-2028 period between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the Cuban Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Some pictures at the meeting: