National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue’s upcoming visit to Cuba will reaffirm Vietnam’s great attention to reinforcing and promoting the special solidarity and loyal friendship with Cuba, and fostering cooperation between the two legislatures as well as the bilateral partnership in all fields, according to Chairman of the NA Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha.

The visit is made on the occasion of the 60th founding anniversary of the Cuban Committee for Solidarity with South Vietnam, and the 50th anniversary of Cuban leader Fidel Castro Ruz’s first visit to Vietnam and the liberated zone in South of Vietnam when the war was going on.

Cuba was the first Latin American country to set up diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (December 2, 1960), the first in the world to recognise the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and to accept the representative delegation from it (July 1962), as well as the first to send its ambassador to the front's Central Committee (March 1969).

Despite the long geographical distance, the relationship between the two Parties, States and peoples is rare in the world. Vietnamese people always remember Cuban leader Fidel’s saying “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed blood”.

Amid difficulties, Cuba sent thousands of engineers, workers, doctors and experts to Vietnam, while helping train thousands of Vietnamese students, providing Vietnam with a lot of equipment, materials, machinery, food and foodstuff, along with aids to Vietnam to build five important socio-economic projects, most of which are still operating.

Over the past 60 years, the two nations have stood by each other during their struggles for independence and liberation as well as national construction and socialism building.

Although the world situation has seen many ups and downs, the traditional solidarity and special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba continues to be promoted and strengthened in all channels in a substantial manner. In this, the Party-to-Party relations play the oriening role, reinforcing the mutual trust and political foundation for the comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides have regularly exchanged delegations and visits in various forms and at all levels, especially the high level. The Vietnam-Cuba Trade Agreement took effect from April, 2020, with many new trade preferential policies, creating favourable conditions for the import-export activities between the two countries.

Particularly, the cooperation between the two NAs has received great attention and made important contributions to the promotion of the bilateral relations as well as the solidarity between the two peoples.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in May 2020, the Vietnamese NA presented 30,000 masks to the Cuban NA, along with a number of IT equipment to enhance the operational efficiency of the Cuban NA. The two NAs have established their Friendship Parliamentarian Groups with each other.

Speaking to Vietnam News Agency prior to the visit, Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén affirmed that the visit holds a significant meaning, as it will be made by one of the top leaders of Vietnam. It carries historical importance, he said, noting that the Vietnamese NA leader’s entourage who are representatives from many sectors will contribute to further bolstering the partnership between the two countries.

The ambassador said that within the framework of the visit, NA Chairman Hue will deliver a speech at the Cuban NA on April 19, the Girón Victory Day (April 19, 1961-2023) during the first session of the 10th Cuban NA which was elected on March 26. He held that this will be a historical event with special meaning, reflecting the “extremely special” relationship between Cuba and Vietnam.

According to Ha, leaders of the legislatures of Vietnam and Cuba are expected to sign an agreement on the inter-parliamentary cooperation mechanism between the two NAs, aiming to strengthen experience and mutual support at regional and international forums, while fostering coordination in supervising the implementation of cooperation deals between the two countries, thus making the bilateral relations more substantial and effective.

Regarding the message that NA Chairman Hue will extend in his speech at the Cuban NA, Ha said that the leader will reaffirm the solidarity with Cuban people and support to the economic updating process of Cuba, and share Vietnam’s experience during its “Doi Moi” (Renewal) cause, affirming that the two countries will stay close to each other for independence, freedom, peace and development in each country.

Ha said that Hue’s upcoming visit will be the highest-level visit to Cuba and Latin American region in 2023, aiming to realise the foreign policies announced at the 13th National Party Congress. He will be the first foreign leader to visit Cuba after the country’s elections of the new NA, Ha added./.