The 29 th session of the Vietnam-Cuba Intergovernmental Committee opened in Hanoi on October 7.

The committee’s co-chairmen, Vietnamese Minister of Construction Trinh Dinh Dung and Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmiecra Diaz, co-chaired the session.

Speaking at the event, Minister Dung said that the meeting is to discuss measures to deepen bilateral cooperation, especially rice production cooperation programmes.

“ Vietnam will still give priority to cooperative projects between the two countries in this field despite numerous difficulties,” he affirmed.

Also high on the agenda are measures to solve outstanding debts, increase trading activities, ensure the progress of signed contracts and preferential interest rates to businesses.

The Vietnamese side suggested the Cuban government allow the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) to open a representative branch in Cuba to timely solve financial and monetary procedures for Vietnamese businesses investing in the country.

Vietnam wants Cuba to facilitate cooperation in building tourism infrastructure and support Vietnamese businesses investing in construction, oil and gas and trade sectors in Cuba , Dung said.

The Cuban side hoped the session would draw out strategies to boost development cooperation and expand economic-trade relations in the coming time. Minister Rodrigo Malmiecra Diaz said the two sides should set up a joint working team for the compilation of a draft economic development cooperation programme.

Cuba wish that Vietnam will continue providing rice for the country in the years to come to ensure food supplies, he said.

The Cuban minister affirmed that Vietnamese-funded agricultural projects play an important role in Cuba , adding that Cuba will boost cooperation with Vietnam in biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry with its new medical products to be introduced in Vietnam soon.

The two sides will sign the minutes of the meeting on October 8./.