A milestone bringing Vietnam-Cuba relations to a new stage of substantial and sustainable development

General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife, along with the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation, successfully concluded their State visit to Cuba. On this occasion, Comrade Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, gave an interview to the press about the results of the visit.

Party Central Committee Secretary, Head of the Party Central Committee's External Relations Commission Le Hoai Trung. (Photo: VNA)

Reporter: At the invitation of the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, from September 25-27, General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife, along with a high-ranking delegation of the Party and State of Vietnam, paid a State visit to Cuba. Could you please tell us about the main results and significance of the visit? Comrade Le Hoai Trung: This is one of the first State-level foreign visits of General Secretary and President To Lam in his new position. The official visit of the General Secretary and President to Cuba, in the context of the two countries preparing to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations (December 2, 1960 - December 2, 2025), demonstrates the high regard of the Party, State and people of Vietnam for the traditional solidarity, special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba . In less than 40 hours, General Secretary and President To Lam, his wife and the delegation had many important activities in Cuba. General Secretary and President To Lam had a meeting and talks with First Secretary and President Miguel Diaz-Canel, met with National Assembly Chairman Esteban Lazo Hernandez and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, visited General Raul Castro; together with First Secretary and President Miguel Diaz-Canel witnessed the signing ceremony of cooperation documents, visited the Mariel Economic Development Zone and attended a meeting with Cuban people's friendship representatives and young people; laid wreaths at the Ho Chi Minh Monument and the Monument to Cuban National Hero Jose Marti, visited and talked with the Embassy, ​​representatives of the community and Vietnamese students in Cuba. The leaders of the Cuban Party and State made many exceptions in welcoming the General Secretary and President, expressing their high appreciation and special importance to the visit. The wife of the General Secretary and President participated in many important activities of the delegation, and together with the wife of the First Secretary and President of Cuba, visited the Primary School named after Vietnamese revolutionary hero Vo Thi Thang and a number of cultural establishments in Havana. The members of the delegation had many effective working sessions with their respective Cuban counterparts, including bilateral meetings between Phan Van Giang, Politburo member and Minister of National Defense, and the Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces; and Luong Tam Quang, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security, and the Cuban Minister of Interior. During the visit, the leaders of the two Parties and countries discussed the situation of each Party and country, the Vietnam-Cuba relationship, and international issues of mutual concern. The two sides reaffirmed that the special Vietnam-Cuba relationship, nurtured by President Ho Chi Minh, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro and generations of leaders of the two countries, is a priceless asset, an everlasting legacy that the leaders of the two sides are determined to continue to inherit and develop. General Secretary and President To Lam and First Secretary and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel expressed their satisfaction with the good development of bilateral relations and cooperation at all levels and in all fields. The two leaders agreed to strengthen and consolidate political relations as a foundation, in which the relationship between the two Parties plays a strategic role in guiding the development of bilateral relations. The two sides also had in-depth discussions and agreed on the direction of cooperation in the coming time, with contents such as: promoting theoretical exchanges, sharing experiences in building socialism and Party building, and improving the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms between the two Parties. During the visit, the two sides signed new plans and cooperation agreements between the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, the Central Economic Commission, the Communist Review and the relevant agencies of the Communist Party of Cuba, along with cooperation agreements between the State Bank of Vietnam and the Central Bank of Cuba, and a number of localities of the two countries. Leaders of the two Parties and countries also agreed to continue to support and assist each other at international organizations and multilateral political forums. Vietnam stated the stance of Vietnam and ASEAN on maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea; the two sides agreed that international disputes must be resolved by peaceful means, on the basis of respect for international law and the United Nations Charter. Leaders of the Party and State of Vietnam affirmed their consistent stance of requesting the United States to lift and end the blockade and embargo against Cuba, as affirmed in resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly. The two sides highly appreciated the achievements in the revolutionary cause of each country. General Secretary and President To Lam congratulated the achievements of 65 years of the resilient Cuban Revolution, highly appreciated the efforts of the Party, State and people of Cuba to overcome difficulties, continue to implement the results of the 8th Congress Resolution and the process of updating the socio-economic development model. The leaders expressed their admiration for the achievements Vietnam has made after nearly 40 years of renovation, highly appreciated the practical experience, theories on socialism and the path to socialism, the renovation and development policy of Vietnam, and said that it is necessary to continue learning from the successful lessons of the Vietnamese people. The visit is an opportunity for the two sides to focus on reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of cooperation projects and programs in the past, removing obstacles in bilateral cooperation, and discussing new cooperation methods and models, especially in investment, trade and agriculture. The two sides agreed to continue to effectively implement agreements on defense and security, promote and improve the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms between the Governments and National Assemblies of the two countries, and expand cooperation in areas with great potential such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, biotechnology, and tourism, in accordance with the conditions of each side. The leaders of the Cuban Party and State welcomed and highly appreciated the contributions of Vietnamese enterprises investing in Cuba to the development of the Cuban economy, affirming their continued interest in and creation of favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to do sustainable and long-term business in Cuba.

The senior leaders of the two Parties and two countries decided to make 2025 the "Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Year".

With substantial results and cordial exchanges between the top leaders of the two countries, the visit helped to consolidate and strengthen the friendship and solidarity between the people of the two countries. Looking forward to the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2025, the senior leaders of the two Parties and countries decided to make 2025 the "Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Year" with practical commemorative activities. The visit to teachers and students of Vo Thi Thang Primary School by the wife of the General Secretary and President was emotional, in the close and close feelings between the two peoples. The press of the two countries promptly and vividly reported on the activities during the visit. The meeting between the youth and young generations of the two countries, with speeches by the First Secretary and President of Cuba and General Secretary and President To Lam, was broadcast live nationwide. The visit also attracted the attention of the Latin American and world media, with many articles and comments about Vietnam, Cuba and the relationship between the two sides. On this occasion, First Secretary and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel personally presented General Secretary and President To Lam with the Jose Marti Medal, the highest award of the Republic of Cuba. The awarding ceremony took place very solemnly, emotionally, and with a close comradely and brotherly affection, vividly demonstrating the high regard of the Party, State and people of Cuba for the special friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba. The great success of the visit, along with other foreign affairs activities of Comrade General Secretary, President To Lam and other key leaders of our Party and State, has been and will be carried out in the coming time, after the Party and State leadership positions have been completed, making an important contribution to the active, harmonious and effective implementation of our foreign policies and guidelines, serving the country's development goals, while actively contributing to the development of socialism and the leftist movement in the world. Reporter: Could you please tell us about the direction in the coming time to promote the results and such important significance of the visit? Comrade Le Hoai Trung: With the results achieved, the visit is a very important milestone bringing the relationship between the two countries to a new stage, developing more substantially and sustainably. The visit also reaffirms the significance of the special relationship and traditional friendship between the two countries, as well as the implementation of promoting cooperation in areas that have achieved much progress. In the coming time, it is important that the ministries, branches and localities of the two countries urgently and effectively implement the agreements reached during the visit in all fields. Towards the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Year, the two sides need to strengthen coordination and organize practical and effective commemorative activities, thereby enhancing information and education work, especially for the younger generation, about the special Vietnam-Cuba relationship, the historical similarities and the harmony in the souls of the two resilient peoples fighting for and protecting national independence and building socialism. Along with that, the two sides will step up coordination in research, proposing new methods and models of cooperation and investment, especially in the fields of agriculture, energy and health. The results of bilateral cooperation will continue to bring practical and effective benefits, consolidating the traditional and exemplary relationship between the two Parties, States and peoples of Vietnam and Cuba. Reporter: Thank you very much, comrade!

Nhandan.vn

Source: https://nhandan.vn/dau-moc-dua-quan-he-viet-nam-cua-sang-giai-doan-moi-phat-trien-thuc-chat-va-ben-vung-post833726.html