Deputy PM’s visit to further augment Vietnam - Cuba ties

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang is scheduled to pay an official visit to Cuba from April 14 to 16, aiming to continue reinforcing multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Vietnamese Ambassador Designate to Cuba Le Quang Long said the visit is taking place amid the continually enhanced traditional friendship and increasingly substantive cooperation between the two countries. Their fraternity, comprehensive cooperation, and mutual trust have been further strengthened and expanded in all aspects.

During the trip, the two sides will focus on promoting agricultural cooperation, including in rice production and aquaculture, to help Cuba guarantee long-term food security. Their relevant ministries and sectors will review bilateral cooperation; work out measures for fostering partnerships, especially in politics - diplomacy, economy - trade - investment, agriculture, and science - technology; step up the implementation of the Inter-Governmental Committee mechanism; and push ahead with a legal corridor for facilitating bilateral cooperation and people-to-people diplomacy.
         
Deputy PM Quang is set to make courtesy visits to First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel, along with PM Manuel Marrero Cruz. He will also meet with Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, have talks with Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, and attend the closing session of the 41st meeting of the two countries’ Inter-Governmental Committee.

He is scheduled to visit the Mariel Special Development Zone, some investment projects of Vietnamese businesses there, and the Vo Thi Thang Primary School. He will also engage in a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese community and the staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba, according to Long.

The diplomat noted the visit is intended to affirm the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent policy of further intensifying the special friendship, solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with the Cuban Party, Government, and people; demonstrate Vietnam’s willingness to help ease the serious economic challenges and difficulties facing the Caribbean nation; and assist Cuba to stabilise the socio-economic situation and ensure food security via concrete measures of agricultural cooperation and rice export.

He perceived that the two countries boast substantial room and potential for economic, trade, and investment partnerships. Leaders of the Vietnamese Party and State have always ordered optimal conditions be created for bringing cooperation in these areas on par with the political relations and mutual trust.

Long voiced his belief that basing on the time-tested solidarity, special friendship, and all-round cooperation, the two countries can harvest practical results to carry out the agreements reached during high-level visits and meetings while boosting fruitful relations, particularly in economy, trade, and investment./.