Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted a reception in Hanoi on December 1 for President of Cuba’s Prensa Latina news agency Jorge Legañoa Alonso, who is in Vietnam on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.
PM Chinh conveyed his greetings to First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, Cuban PM Manuel Marrero Cruz, President of the National Assembly of People's Power Lazo Hernández, and other Cuban leaders.
Affirming that Vietnam will never forget Cuba’s support during its past struggle for national independence and the subsequent process of national construction and defence, he stressed that the special relationship between Vietnam and Cuba, laid by Cuban national hero José Martí, President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban leader Fidel Castro, has been growing over the past 65 years. The bilateral ties, he noted, have expanded across all levels, channels and areas with three key pillars: political-diplomatic relations as the foundation, economic-trade-investment ties as the driving force, and people-to-people exchanges as the glue.
Both sides have maintained regular high-level visits and contacts, most recently the 2024 state visit to Cuba by Party General Secretary To Lam and the official visit to Vietnam in September 2025 by Díaz-Canel.
According to him, Vietnam is now Cuba’s second largest trade partner and biggest investor from the Asia-Pacific. Projects in food security, rice, corn and aquaculture have eased difficulties for the Cuban people. Most recently, the Vietnamese people donated more than 650 billion VND (25 million USD) to Cuba under the “65 years of Vietnam–Cuba solidarity” campaign, ten times the original target, while Cuba supplied vaccines to Vietnam during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cooperation between the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Prensa Latina has been close and effective, with the Cuban agency training generations of Vietnamese journalists and editors, dispatching experts to Hanoi, and promoting bilateral friendship. VNA, in turn, has provided equipment and facilitated Prensa Latina correspondents in Vietnam.
Vietnam always stands alongside Cuba, stays ready to share development experience and assists in food security, energy and telecommunications, he said.
He urged VNA and Prensa Latina to increase cooperation, maintain effective joint activities and explore new methods of collaboration, including professional training, technology and media infrastructure development aligned with modern trends.
The PM stressed the need for both agencies to offer accurate, official and timely information to domestic and international media; actively spread the loyal, pure and unique Vietnam–Cuba friendship; coordinate to protect the ideological foundation and work on key information fronts; detect and counter false or harmful information that could affect ties.
Affirming the Government’s support for VNA’s cooperation plans with Prensa Latina, he expressed confidence that generations of journalists from both agencies would continue with effective activities, contributing to the traditional Vietnam–Cuba friendship and solidarity.
Legañoa Alonso voiced pride in the long-standing friendship between the two countries and their national news agencies. He affirmed Prensa Latina’s commitment to working closely with VNA to better tap collaboration areas outlined by the host.
Earlier the same morning, VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang held talks with Legañoa Alonso at the VNA headquarters in Hanoi.
Trang congratulated Legañoa Alonso on his appointment as President of Prensa Latina in October, expressing confidence that with his extensive experience, he would lead the agency forward and continue to reinforce its long-standing partnership with VNA.
She highlighted robust cooperation under a 2023 agreement signed in Havana, including the exchanges of news in English, French and Spanish, captioned photos and Spanish-language videos. VNA extensively uses Prensa Latina’s official information as a key source for Latin America coverage.
Prensa Latina regularly promotes Vietnam’s stances on territorial sovereignty and human rights achievements. It has sent Spanish-language editors to help upgrade VNA’s Spanish-language output, and its Hanoi-based correspondents regularly enter national journalism awards, including the National External Information Service Awards and VNA’s Press Awards.
VNA correspondents in Havana receive strong support from Prensa Latina for interviews with Cuban officials and scholars. In return, VNA assists Prensa Latina’s Hanoi bureau, and in September, VNA staff donations under the “65 Years of Vietnam-Cuba Solidarity” campaign included direct aid to the Cuban agency, she added.
Looking ahead, Trang proposed intensifying coverage of major 2026 events, including Vietnam’s 14th National Party Congress, progress of strategic resolutions and election of deputies to the National Assembly and People’s Councils, as well as Cuba’s National Party Congress slated for April and economic reforms. She urged continued mutual support for resident correspondents, joint responses to media incidents, fight against disinformation, and enhanced sharing of digital transformation expertise.
Legañoa Alonso, in reply, said his delegation would make the most of its time in Vietnam to deepen understanding and explore opportunities to enhance bilateral coordination. Beyond professional cooperation, he said his visit is to learn from VNA’s leadership and newsroom management experience.
He underlined the agency’s priorities to upgrade its technological infrastructure, modernise its journalism practices and adapt to an increasingly multimedia-driven global media environment. Strengthening analytical content, he said, will be key to improving Prensa Latina’s international reputation. He requested continued support from VNA and deeper in-person or online exchanges to build a new generation of reporters and editors.
The guest noted the agencies’ shared mission to counter distorted allegations and guide public opinion with facts, stressing the need to adapt quickly to fast-changing social media and digital platforms.
The two sides concluded by agreeing on key future cooperation areas, affirming that VNA-Prensa Latina ties remain a vivid embodiment of the solidarity forged by President Ho Chi Minh and leader Fidel Castro, with generations of journalists, editors and technicians working shoulder-to-shoulder./.
