Tasty: Cuban food   Party shack: Revelers celebrate New Year's Eve Cuban style. — Photos Courtesy of the Cuban Embassy

On January 1, the Cuban people celebrated the 53rd anniversary of victory in the Cuban Revolution and National Day.

For the Cubans, 2011 was a year of significant achievement and effort in realising new socio-economic policies approved at the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba in April. Necessary reforms in terms of conception and mechanism have been applied to the economy gradually and cautiously, helping the country overcome both subjective and objective difficulties, and providing the impetus for its sustainable development.

New economic policies started to take effect. The Gross Domestic Product increased 2.7 per cent in 2011 and is forecast to increase 3.4 per cent this year. Despite all-out efforts to promote the economy, Cuba is still faced with an economic and financial blockade by the US.

Viet Nam and Cuba have supported each other in their most difficult periods and together enjoyed successes from such a brotherhood relationship. They have been proud of their fine political ties and the progress in their commercial, economic, scientific and technical relations.

On such a special day like January 1 and for the New Year, I would like to convey my wishes of health and success to the Vietnamese and Cubans who are working and residing in Viet Nam, and especially to Viet Nam News readers.

Also, I would like to thank the Vietnamese people and leaders for their support and friendship towards the Cubans, both here and in my country.

I hope it will be a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year for the Vietnamese people, their leaders, and Cubans and their friends living and working in Viet Nam. — VNS