Lazo, also a member of the Party Political Bureau, expressed gratitude for the support Vietnam offered during the harsh years of the Special Period and their solidarity in fighting to end the U.S. blockade imposed on the island.

”You represent the heroic people of Vietnam to whom we are united by indestructible ties of fraternity rooted in a common history of struggle. When we meet with you, we do so as brothers,” stated Lazo.

”We admire Vietnam for the extraordinary example of its heroic sons and daughters, their will and resolve, spirit of hard work and tenacity, all of which have led to the construction of a country 10 times more beautiful than the unforgettable Ho Chi Minh could have dreamed,” added the President of Cuba’s Parliament.

In this sense he noted that in 1996 he experienced one Vietnam, and in 2006 he saw a different country, and today and even greater nation, which fills us with satisfaction, he added.

Likewise, he highlighted the support offered the island by Vietnamese government and party authorities with the holding of the 7th Asia Pacific Regional ConferenceforSolidaritywithCuba.

Lazo made the most of the occasion to congratulate Vietnam on the 70th anniversary of the proclamation of the country’s independence.

He emphasized the Vietnamese people’s spirit of struggle, “fully conscious – as President Ho Chi Minh would say – that nothing is more important than freedom and independence.”

Lazo thanked the Vietnamese leader for his decision to visit the National Assembly as his first activity on the island.
The President of the Asian nation arrived to Cuba on the morning of September 29, and is scheduled to hold official talks with his Cuban counterpart, Raúl Castro Ruz.

During his visit Truong Tan Sang will receive the Order of José Martí, the highest distinction awarded by Cuba’s Council of State and will also pay tribute to the country’s national hero and Ho Chi Minh.

Through direct and secret vote, the member of Parliament also confirmed Ana Maria Mari Machado as vice president and Miriam Brito as secretary, as they did in the previous period.

The voting to define the posts in the Assembly, the top body of state power in Cuba for the next five years, was held after its installation at the Havana Convention Center.

Preval and Lazo reviewed the fruitful bilateral cooperation relations, expanded after the earthquake that struck the Haitian capital in February 2010, killing 250,000 people.

Lazo also met President-elect Michael Martelly at his office in Petionville, and will attend his inauguration on Saturday in the National Assembly.

Martelly expressed the desire to maintain and strengthen collaborative links between the two countries, while Lazo reiterated Cuba’s willingness to continue cooperation and work for the people.

Lazo’s agenda included an interview with outgoing Prime Minister, Jean Max Bellerive, at his official residence to review the development of ties between both nations.

Lazo also met at the Embassy of Cuba with the heads of missions of collaboration and Ambassador Ricardo Garcia.