July 6, 1999

.c Kyodo News Service

HANOI, July 6 (Kyodo) - The general secretary of the ruling Vietnamese Communist Party, Le Kha Phieu, left Hanoi on Tuesday for an official visit to Cuba aimed at improving relations between the two countries, authorities said.

Phieu is scheduled to hold talks with Cuban President Fidel Castro, who is also first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba.

The talks will focus on how to forge stronger ties and cooperation between Cuba and Vietnam and the two communist parties ''in the new context of the world,'' sources from the Vietnamese party said.

During the Vietnam War, Cuba supported communist-controlled North Vietnam, providing it with financial and technical assistance.

Vietnam, in recent years, has been sending rice grants to Cuba, especially during the U.S. economic embargo against the country.

The trip is Phieu's first to Cuba after the party picked him to be its top leader in late 1997. He had visited neighboring Laos, China and Cambodia.

Party sources said Phieu may officially visit Japan ''in the near future.''

AP-NY-07-06-99 0122EDT

Copyright 1999 The Kyodo News Service

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