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HAVANA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of Cuba and Venezuela vowed Wednesday to further their alliance and close economic cooperation on the sidelines of the 12th anniversary of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA).
At the ALBA rally in Havana, Cuban President Raul Castro and his Venezuela counterpart Nicolas Maduro declared commitment to the ideas and principles of ALBA founders, former Cuban revolution leader Fidel Castro and former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.
The two presidents promised to continue working for social and economic development of their nations.
The rally also coincided with the first ever meeting in 1994 between Venezuelan's Chavez and Cuba's Fidel. The former Cuban president died in Havana at the age of 90 on Nov. 25.
"In times of difficulties and growing challenges, solidarity as well as consensus in ideas and unity of action is what our America needs now," stressed President Castro in a short speech.
The alliance of Cuba and Venezuela dated back to 2004 when the two former presidents, Fidel and Chavez, co-founded the ALBA. Associated with socialist and social democratic governments in Latin America, the AlBA serves to consolidate regional economic integration based on a vision of social welfare, goods exchange and mutual economic aid.
