Vietnam reconfirms its consistent policy on solidarity and all-sided co-op with Cuba, which will be manifest by the country's warm welcome to Raul Castro, president of Cuba's Council of State and the Council of Ministers, on his visit to Vietnam from July 8-9, reported Vietnam News Agency and local media on Friday.

The visit, the first one to Vietnam by Raul Castro in his position as Cuban Party and State top leader, took place in the context that the Vietnam-Cuba relations have finely developed, particularly after the official visit to Cuba in April this year by Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Vietnam and Cuba established diplomatic ties in December 1960. Over the past decades of years, bilateral relations have been well preserved and constantly developed by cooperation in areas, such as construction, transport, bio-technology, education, healthcare, sports and games, and agriculture.

The two sides have regular exchange of visits at different levels to promote cooperation, as well as support each other at international forums.

In 2010, Vietnam exported 400,000 tons of rice to Cuba under preferential credits payment, and another 300,000 tons in 2011. The two sides are now implementing cooperative projects, including a project to develop rice growing under family scale in Cuba, a project to support Cuba in growing corn and soya bean, and the Vietnam-Cuba cooperation project to develop rice production in Cuba during 2010-15. Other cooperation in tourism infrastructure, telecom, education and training are also underway.

Currently, Vietnam is Cuba's second biggest trade partner in Asia-Pacific region and the main rice supplier. Two-way trade turnover between the two countries reached $274 million in 2011, over $250 million in 2010.