HAVANA, Cuba (AFP):  Vietnam's communist party chief Nong Duc Manh has held talks with Cuban officials at the start of a tour of Latin America, state media reported.

Manh met for two hours with his counterparts from Cuba's communist party, Esteban Lazo and Fernando Remirez de Estenoz, during a refueling stop in Havana before setting off for Chile, Brazil, Venezuela and a return visit to Cuba on June 1, Prensa Latina reported.

"The refueling stop had a political aspect," said Vietnam's ambassador to Cuba, Pham Tien Tu, who said the two countries enjoyed "excellent relations."

Manh told Prensa Latina before his trip that his nation seeks to bolster cooperation with Latin American countries.