Senior officials of the communist parties of Cuba and China on Wednesday highly praised the friendship between their two parties.

Cuban Vice President of the Council of State Esteban Lazo Hernandez said at a meeting with Chen Fengxiang, deputy head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, that Cuba appreciated the massive support of the Chinese government and the Chinese people.

The two communist parties have a deep, traditional friendship, said Lazo, also a member of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee Political Bureau.

More recently, the two nations have strengthened political trust, economic cooperation and coordination in international affairs, he added.

Chen, who is leading a goodwill delegation of the CPC for a visit in Havana, said the friendship between the Cuban and Chinese communist parties had laid a sound basis for the development of good relations between the two countries.

He said he believed the ties between the two parties and the two nations would enjoy further development as a result of both sides' joint efforts.

(Xinhua News Agency February 1, 2007)