Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man hosted Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Rogelio Polanco Fuentes in Hanoi on the afternoon of January 9, expressing his confidence that the newly-appointed diplomat would help to facilitate the implementation of agreements signed between the two Parties and States.
Highlighting the increasingly strengthened political and diplomatic ties between the two countries, the NA leader mentioned the landmark State visit to Cuba by To Lam in his capacity as Party General Secretary and State President in September 2024. He noted that this visit elevated the bilateral relations to a new height and charted fresh pathways for economic, trade, and investment cooperation.
Man said in line with directives from the Party chief, Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has dispatched experts to assist Cuba in developing solar energy, helping the Caribbean nation ensure energy security. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has supported Cuba in farming production, and the Ministries of Science and Technology, Education and Training, and Health have stepped up collaboration and experience-sharing with the Cuban side.
Looking ahead, the top legislator hoped that 2025 would see intensified visit and experience exchanges across all levels.
For his part, Polanco Fuentes said the bilateral relations are in a phase of comprehensive and sustainable development, with Cuba implementing agreements reached during Lam's visit last year.
Expressing gratitude for Vietnam’s support in food security, the ambassador noted it has enabled his country to adopt a new agricultural cooperation model, particularly in rice cultivation.
The host and guest talked about the first meeting of the Vietnam-Cuba Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee last year, which operationalised the cooperation protocol between the two NAs. They said the event affirmed the two parliaments’ determination to deepen ties through parliamentary collaboration, with the second edition set to take place in Vietnam this year.
Marking 2025 as the “Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Year” to celebrate the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations (December 2, 1960 - 2025), both viewed it as an opportunity to further enhance the special bond and solidarity between the two nations./.
