Havana (VNA) – The Vietnam – Cuba friendship is a vivid symbol of genuine internationalism, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Quang Long told the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the state visit to Vietnam by First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez from August 31 to September 2.
The diplomatic relationship, established on December 2, 1960, marked Cuba as the first Latin American nation to recognise the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam), Long said, adding bilateral relations have been built on solidarity, cooperation, and mutual trust across all areas, with shared revolutionary ideals and unyielding spirit.
Over the decades, the ties have gone far beyond conventional diplomacy to evolve into a close brotherhood, despite being oceans apart. A solid foundation of the relations was laid by Cuban leader Fidel Castro, whose historic visit to the liberated zone of Quang Tri in South Vietnam in September 1973 despite bombing campaigns and his famous saying “For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its own blood” have resonated deeply with the Vietnamese people.
He described the fraternal relationship as a rare one in international relations and a valuable asset that has been extremely treasured and developed across all areas by the two Parties, States, and peoples.
Cuba’s support for Vietnam during the latter’s resistance war was comprehensive and sacrificial, extending beyond material aid to include spiritual and political support. Cuban engineers helped rebuild war-torn infrastructure while its doctors and medical staff came along with medicines and equipment to offer their services. Besides, Cuban experts stood shoulders to shoulders with Vietnamese soldiers and people under the bombardment at Hai Phong Port, engaged in the construction of the Truong Son trail, the Dong Hoi friendship hospital, and Hanoi’s Thang Loi Hotel.
He recalled the nationwide campaign “All for Vietnam” in Cuba, which saw factories, schools, and residential areas named after Vietnamese heroes and landmarks, a phenomenon unseen elsewhere in the world.
According to Long, Cuba had a pivotal role to play in encouraging Latin American countries to support Vietnam’s accession to the United Nations in 1977 while standing firmly with Vietnam during the tough times, including post-war reconstruction and the northern border incident in February 1979.
As Vietnam embarked on its Doi moi (renewal) and achieved remarkable development progress, the relationship shifted into a two-way strategic partnership. Vietnam has become a donor of food, machinery, and equipment to Cuba, called on the US to lift the embargo against Cuba, while sharing lessons in socio-economic development, international integration, and socialist-oriented market reforms. Cuba studied Vietnam’s experience in economic restructuring, including the equitisation of state-owned enterprises and the introduction of single-member limited liability companies.
Regarding cooperation in economy, trade, and investment, the ambassador said Vietnam is now the biggest investor and the second largest trading partner of Cuba in Asia. Bilateral trade reached some 250–350 million USD during 2015–2020. Under a trade agreement signed in 2018 and effective in 2020, both sides aim to raise the trade volume to 500 million USD within five years. Vietnam exports rice, electronics, apparel, footwear, and building materials to Cuba, while importing Cuban pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical biological products.
Cooperation has expanded to such areas as rice, corn and aquaculture production, culture, and defence, he said, adding landmarks have been named after President Ho Chi Minh in Cuba and Fidel Castro in Vietnam while plans are underway to establish dedicated research institutes on the two leaders in each other's countries.
He added that the two countries have maintained frequent high-level exchanges, especially the state visit to Cuba in September 2024 by Party General Secretary and then State President To Lam, elevating the bilateral ties to a new height. This year marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations and was designated as the “Vietnam – Cuba Friendship Year”, with plans to deepen cooperation in food production, biopharmaceutical R&D, and energy, according to Long.
Over the past 80 years, Vietnam has overcome immense challenges to secure remarkable socio-economic achievements and a rising international standing, Long highlighted, stating that throughout that journey, Cuba’s special and pure friendship has been an unwavering source of strength.
He reaffirmed Vietnam’s determination to nurture and deepen the traditional friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation with Cuba, making it an invaluable asset for future generations./.
