Tran Quang Minh's photo features a woman selling flowers in an old street.

An exhibition of 100 photos taken by Vietnam News Agency (VNA)’s photojournalists has brought Cuba and Vietnam - on opposite sides of the globe - a little closer together.

Everywhere in the island country, Vietnamese names are familiar to Cubans, such as Heroic Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, Uncle Ho, Nguyen Van Troi, Le Van Tam, Hanoi, Cu Chi and Ben Tre, which appear as the names of streets, educational institutions, healthcare and sports facilities, factories and farms.

VNA General Director Tran Mai Huong said at the opening ceremony in Hanoi on July 2 that though geographically far away, Cuba always treats VNA journalists warmly, through programmes of cooperation with the Prensa Latina (PL) news agency, the national News Agency of Cuba (AIN) and other Cuban press agencies.

“Cuba is also close to Vietnam thanks to news, pictures and video sent home every day by resident VNA correspondents as well as through news items broadcast by VNA to Cuba and other parts of the world,” said the VNA chief.

Cuban Ambassador Fredesman Turro Gonzalez said the photos reflect the friendship and affection the Cuban people feel for their Vietnamese sisters and brothers, creating a firm foundation for relations between the two countries.

Le Duy Truyen's photo features Cuban children playing at the San Antonio de Los Banoss town, in La Habana.

The exhibition is expected to help Vietnamese people better understand a simple and happy Cuba, the diplomat concluded.

The photo exhibition, themed “ Cuba: Far way but right here”, will run through July 6, then move to Ho Chi Minh City from July 24 to August 4.

It is a co-product by the VNA, the Cuban embassy and the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association. (VNA)