HCM City (VNA) - Building on the long-standing and special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba, Ho Chi Minh City is proud to be a pioneering force in actively strengthening ties with Cuba, Nguyen Van Duoc, Chairman of the municipal People's Committee, affirmed at a ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of Vietnam-Cuba diplomatic relations (1960-2025) on December 2.
Duoc stated that 65 years ago, Cuba was the first country in the Western Hemisphere to recognise and establish full diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). This was an inevitable outcome stemming from the strong connection between the two nations, who were both pioneers in the struggle against colonialism and imperialism.
In the current period, the Party, State, and people of both countries continue to stand side by side, strengthen solidarity, exchange experience, and promote cooperation for shared prosperity and development. Particularly, Ho Chi Minh City has signed friendship and cooperation agreements with Santiago de Cuba and Artemisa provinces, the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment, and the Cuban Ministry of Health. It has actively supported the Cuban people and implemented numerous collaboration projects in the country, Duoc said.
He emphasised that the Party, State, and people of Vietnam, including the Party Organisation, authorities, and people of Ho Chi Minh City, have consistently maintained a firm stance in supporting the just revolutionary cause of the Cuban Party, State, and people.
The city always makes every effort to nurture and strengthen its friendship with Cuba, reaffirming the message that the people of Vietnam, including those of Ho Chi Minh City, always stand by the people of Cuba in every step of their development journey.
Expressing her gratitude for HCM City’s valuable support for Cuba in recent times, Cuban Consul General in the city Ariadne Feo Labrada stressed that positive outcomes in bilateral relations between Cuba and Vietnam, as well as between Cuban localities and partners and Ho Chi Minh City, especially through people-to-people exchanges, cultural cooperation, and trade promotion, reflect the flourishing special relationship between the two countries.
She expressed her appreciation for the leaders, businesses, and people of both countries who have contributed to building and developing the special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba over the past 65 years. She pledged that the Cuban Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will continue to promote political, economic, and bilateral cooperation between the two countries, contributing to the strengthening the sustainable developmetn of the bilateral solidarity and friendship./.
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Cuba remains one of Vietnam’s 10 key markets in Latin America, while Vietnam is now Cuba’s second largest partner in the Asia-Pacific. Vietnam is also Cuba’s largest Asian investor, and one of its leading foreign investors overall, with seven active projects spanning construction materials, consumer goods, industrial park infrastructure, and energy.
