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Vietnam, Cuba tighten their solidarity

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc successfully concluded his official visit to Cuba at the invitation of First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel.

The special success of the visit is an agreement on Vietnam’s purchase of 10 million doses of Cuba's COVID-19 vaccine, which is an outstanding outcome affirming the special friendship between the two countries, and also a great achievement in Vietnam's vaccine diplomacy.

The visit also marked a milestone of special significance, as it was the first visit to Cuba by a head of state since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and was made on the occasion of the 61st founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.


Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee
and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez review the honor guard at the welcoming ceremony for the Vietnamese President. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


The two Presidents hold talks. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


President Miguel Diaz Canel presents the Vietnamese State leader with José Marti Order,
the noblest reward of the Cuban State. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA




The two Presidents witness the signing of cooperation agreements between the two countries. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has a meeting with President of the National Assembly
of the People’s Power Esteban Lazo Hernández. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


The Vietnamese President presents President of the National Assembly of the People’s Power Esteban Lazo Hernández
a book entitled “Fidel Castro Ruz – Nha cach mang quoc te vi dai”
(Fidel Castro Ruz – Great international revolutionary). Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

The visit was made close to the 48th anniversary of the historic visit by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz to Vietnam in September 1973 and 55 years since President Ho Chi Minh received General, Minister of Revolutionary Armed Forces Raul Castro Ruz in October 1966.
During his trip from September 18-20, President Phuc held high-level talks and meetings with leaders of the Cuban Party and State and had a number of important activities to develop the bilateral friendship and solidarity to a new height.

At their talks, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and President Miguel Díaz-Canel agreed that in the time to come, both sides should continue to strengthen their political relations through the exchange of delegations at all levels regularly with flexible forms, while enhancing the efficiency of cooperation mechanisms, including the theoretical conference between the two Parties, the Inter-Government Committee, the political consultations between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and policy dialogue between the two Defence Ministries.

Vietnam and Cuba should work closely together to effectively implement the new trade agreement, while optimising preferences from the deal, thus raising two-way trade to a level that matches the potential and sound political ties between the two countries, they said.


President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has a meeting with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz in Havana. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


The meeting between President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Cuban PM Manuel Marrero Cruz. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

President Phuc thanked the Cuban side to give highest priority to the provision of Cuban-developed COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam, describing this as evidence for the timely support that Cuba has always given to Vietnam like Cuban leader Fidel Castro saying “for Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood”.

On the occasion, President Phuc announced Vietnam’s gift of 5,000 tonnes of rice and a number of medical equipment to Cuba. Some Vietnamese ministries and sectors also offered presents to Cuba, including 1,000 tonnes of rice from construction firms, and 100 tonnes of maize from the Ministry of Defence, and medical equipment and IT software from other ministries.

The two leaders also witnessed the signing of a number of agreements between the two countries, including a plan of action to implement the middle-term economic agenda in the 2021-2025 period; a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two ministries of health, a plan to conduct a project to support Cuba’s aquatic farming sector in the third phase between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Cuba’s Ministry of Food Industry; a cooperation programme in the 2022-2023 between the two ministries of justice; a MoU on cooperation plan in cybersecurity between the Ministry of Information and Communications and Cuba’s Ministry of Communications.


President Nguyen Xuan Phuc lays a wreath at the President Ho Chi Minh statue in Peace Park in Havana. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA




President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits the monument commemorating national hero Jose Marti. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


The Vietnamese President lays a wreath at Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s grave in Santiago city. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


President Nguyen Xuan Phuc lays a wreath at the monument commemorating national hero Jose Marti. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

Following the talks, on behalf of the Party, State and people of Cuba, President Miguel Diaz Canel presented the Vietnamese State leader with José Marti Order, the noblest reward of the Cuban State, in recognition of President Phuc’s contributions to the acceleration of solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two Parties, States and people.

Before leaving Cuba, President Phuc and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation laid wreaths at Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s grave and the monument commemorating national hero Jose Marti. 
Within the visit’s framework, the two sides issued a joint statement of the two countries on the occasion of the Vietnamese President’s Cuban visit.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a meeting with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz in Havana on September 19 as part of his official visit to Cuba. The two leaders discussed measures to further bolster the partnership between the two countries in various fields. President Phuc expressed his hope that the two Governments will work closely together to effectively implement high-level agreements, thus further accelerate bilateral ties and lift up economic, trade and investment cooperation on par with the sound political ties between the two countries.

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc met with General Raul Castro Ruz on September 20 (local time) as part of his official visit to Cuba. President Phuc and Gen. Castro Ruz recalled the latter’s first visit to Vietnam 55 years ago in his capacity as Second Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee, which opened up a new period for solidarity and mutual support between the two countries.


President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has a meeting with General Raul Castro Ruz o as part of his official visit to Cuba. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


The Vietnamese President has a reception for Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade
and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz in Havana. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits the Centre for Genetic Engineering
and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc receives First Vice President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with Peoples (ICAP) Noemi Rabaza Fernandez,
President of the Cuba - Vietnam Friendship Association (CVFA) Maria Yolanda Ferrer Gomez and leaders of schools named after Uncle Ho,
Nguyen Van Troi and Vo Thi Thang in Havana. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA


 President has a meeting with represetatives of Vietnamese people living in Cuba. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) in Havana and had a reception in Havana for Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz and leaders of the Mariel Special Development Zone.

President Phuc and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation laid wreaths at Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s grave and the monument commemorating national hero Jose Marti and laid flowers at the President Ho Chi Minh statue in Peace Park in Havana.

President Phuc's official visit to Cuba demonstrated Vietnam’s respect and determination to continue strengthening and deepening the time-honoured solidarity, comprehensive cooperation and mutual trust between the two Parties, States and people of the two nations, and strongly reaffirmed Vietnam's solidarity and consistent support for the just revolutionary cause of the Cuban people./.

By VNA/VNP


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