Caracas, October 27 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Vietnam is strengthening its ties with Latin America this week after holding meetings with officials from both Venezuela and Cuba to discuss common interests.         

Meetings began Monday in Venezuela when the Minister for Habitat and Housing, Manuel Quevedo, met with the Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Ngo Tien Dung, in Caracas.  Among the topics discussed were housing, industrialization and other social projects, according to Venezuela's state media. 

“Right now, we are giving much importance to the part of social projects, because in Vietnam you have a lot of technology that can help.  Vietnam is a great friend and President Nicolas Maduro has every intention of strengthening all commercial ties and developing them,” said Quevedo. 

The Venezuelan official also promised to carefully review the social and housing projects in Vietnam to see what it can learn from the Asian country's experiences.

Although poverty remains a major issue in the country, Vietnam has succeeded in reducing poverty levels in the past two decades.  In the early 1990s, poverty levels were at 60 percent, while today they stand at 20 percent. 

The Venezuelan minister also spoke about his country's housing mission, which includes the construction of 3,000,000 homes. 

Meanwhile, officials from Vietnam traveled to Cuba on Monday to reinforce its military relations. 

The Deputy Minister and Chief the Vietnam People's Army, General Do Ba Ty, and a small delegation from Hanoi were received in Havana Monday by the chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, General Alvaro Lopez Miera.   

The two countries have had close bilateral relations since the 1960s and are considered close economic but also political allies, according to Cuban media.  They met this week in order to “develop and make more efficient mutual relations in the military field,” said the Vietnamese general.

Vietnam is one of Cuba's most important Asian and Oceania trading partner, second only to China.