Vietnam - Cuba: Relations at 'special height'

(VTC News) - Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao commented that the visit to Cuba by General Secretary and President To Lam further affirmed the 'special height' of the relationship between the two countries.

From September 21-27, General Secretary and President To Lam, his wife and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will pay a working visit to the US and visit Cuba. After activities in the US, General Secretary and President To Lam and his wife will pay a state visit to Cuba at the invitation of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, President of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel Bermudez and his wife. The state visit to Cuba by General Secretary and President To Lam takes place in the context of the special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba continuing to become a symbol of international solidarity and friendship. Over the past 60 years, Vietnam and Cuba have always stood side by side, strengthening cooperation to contribute to the development of the two countries and the world. According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, Former Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, the upcoming visit of the General Secretary and President to Cuba is of great significance. From deep brotherly affection

The Vietnam-Cuba relationship has a long history and a rare depth and affection between two nations that, despite being geographically distant, are connected in the revolutionary flow. Sharing memories of his years in Cuba, Associate Professor Thao recalled:

" The friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba has a long history, sown by the Cuban national liberation hero José Martí at the end of the 19th century when he wrote the very famous short story - "A walk on the land of the Annamese". José Martí had never set foot on our country, but he understood and had special feelings for our people since that day. Why? Because he saw that the Vietnamese people would certainly be the force that would light the torch, fight against French colonialism, and liberate the nation. This is a brave, indomitable, heroic nation, never yielding to foreign invaders. He respected that. Every time we re-read José Martí's 50-page work, we feel admiration for Martí's deep understanding of Vietnamese culture, people and history. In particular, I deeply admire and appreciate the noble feelings and strong faith that he has for the Vietnamese people and nation, even though he has never had the opportunity to do so. event to visit this country ".

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, Former Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

But the special relationship between the two nations initiated by the revolutionary José Martí is not just that, as Associate Professor Thao further explained, the hero José Martí sacrificed himself on the battlefield at a very young age, only 42 years old, on May 19, 1895. This coincided with the birthday of Nguyen Tat Thanh - Nguyen Ai Quoc - Ho Chi Minh, on May 19. To this day, the Cuban people still organize dual commemorative activities on May 19 every year. They commemorate the death of José Martí and at the same time celebrate the birthday of President Ho Chi Minh. "I have never seen any people in the world with such dual, loyal, steadfast, and special memories, " Associate Professor Thao commented. From such initial relationships and seeds, the affection between the two nations and peoples quickly blossomed, bore fruit, and achieved important milestones. According to Associate Professor Thao. Thao, the driving force behind the exemplary relationship between Vietnam and Cuba is first and foremost the fact that the two countries share the same goals, ideals and revolutionary path. Both pursue the path of national independence and socialism, against colonialism and imperialism. Mr. Thao was moved to recall that during the years we fought the US, Cuba also faced many difficulties, but you gave us not only great and solid political support, but you also provided us with essential goods and materials, including sugar, food, medicine... Cuba also helped our army find the necessary equipment to open the Truong Son road, the Ho Chi Minh trail, serving the war against the US, saving the country, liberating Vietnam. The whole country and the whole world, including the people of the two countries, will always remember the words of President Fidel Castro: For Vietnam, the Cuban people are willing to sacrifice their blood. In particular, your kind support, a piece of food when hungry is worth a package when full, has been the building blocks, warming the relationship in the 20th century between the two peoples, creating a premise for the valuable and necessary support between the two countries at the present time. According to Associate Professor Thao, Cuba never brings surplus goods to help brotherly countries, Cuba does not have any surplus material. Cuba spends its meager material resources, even though it is still in need, to help the people of other countries. This is what is especially valuable, true to the spirit of our Vietnam: The less torn leaves cover the more torn leaves. " Therefore, every time we talk about Cuba's help, aid, and international sentiment towards Vietnam, we are always moved, " Associate Professor Thao said.

New contexts require new frameworks for cooperation

Commenting on the relationship between Vietnam and Cuba in the new era, Associate Professor Thao said that the special relationship between Vietnam and Cuba today is demonstrated through mutual assistance in firmly pursuing the path of national independence and socialism, bringing success and great victory to both peoples, bringing independence, freedom and prosperity to both countries. This path has helped Vietnam successfully innovate and Cuba stand firm, updating its socio-economy according to the socialist model with very important initial results.

Currently, Vietnam and Cuba are making efforts to maintain and develop a relationship at a special level, based on political, economic, trade, scientific and cultural cooperation. In recent years, despite many economic, financial and geographical difficulties, the two countries have continued to maintain and develop a special political relationship. Key leaders of the two countries regularly visit and discuss important strategic issues, creating special political trust between the two countries. The two countries also pay great attention to innovation, and cooperation in the fields of economics, trade and education and training is also being enhanced, to meet the needs in the new context. In particular, the Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam - Cuba Friendship Association emphasized: " During the resistance war against colonialism and imperialism, we had successful economic, trade, education, training, science, technology, and culture relations, which were very valuable premises. But we cannot continue to do so in the new context. The two sides are actively seeking new frameworks, new forms, and new measures to continue to improve the effectiveness of cooperation in addition to political relations and special heights ." He gave an example, in times when each side faced risks, difficulties, uncertainties, natural disasters, storms, floods, fires, epidemics, etc., the mutual assistance between the two countries was extremely grateful, selfless, and pure. Our Vietnamese people have carried out many material donation campaigns, although not large but full of sentiment, with deep brotherhood to help the Cuban people. Cuba is the same, during the time of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, you are willing to freely transfer all vaccine production technology to us, and then give us priority for millions of vaccine doses. These are very vivid manifestations in the new period of the special friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba. In a recent interview with the press, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba to Vietnam Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen also emphasized that in the 60s, the relationship between the two countries was very deep, based on mutual respect, support and admiration, in accordance with the characteristics of the circumstances that each country had to go through at that time, with the struggles that each country had to face at that time, at a time when mutual support was necessary. Time has passed, the relationship between the two countries has developed in a different way and today Vietnam and Cuba have a very rich and extensive relationship in all fields. Vietnam and Cuba have both developed their strengths.

Vietnam is providing Cuba with knowledge to ensure food security as well as factors contributing to achieving Cuba's goal of attracting foreign capital.

Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen

In particular, the Ambassador assessed that Vietnam has certainly become an economic power in the region, and in the world, Vietnam is an export power and a food production power. These are areas in which Vietnam has developed and been recognized worldwide, and they also contribute to the ability to develop bilateral relations. The Ambassador affirmed that Vietnam is currently providing Cuba with experience and knowledge to ensure food security. Vietnam also provides Cuba with factors that contribute to achieving Cuba's goal of attracting foreign capital. In the Mariel Special Development Zone, Vietnam is the only case that Cuba has granted a concession to exploit an economic zone located in the zone. This will be a location to help attract foreign investment to Cuba, an area in which Vietnam has a lot of experience. Vietnam also has experience in the field of renewable energy, and Cuba hopes that this will continue to be implemented in your country. In addition, there are other important areas such as food production, not only rice, but also coffee, or aquaculture that have potential for cooperation.

The visit has practical significance in removing backlogs.

In addition to affirming the special, strategic relationship with the Party, State and people of Cuba, the visit of General Secretary and President To Lam will create many conditions to give specific instructions and resolve outstanding issues in economic, trade, even scientific, technical and educational cooperation between the two countries in the current situation.

" Why is there a backlog? Because the two countries currently have different economic mechanisms. Vietnam is in a socialist-oriented market economy, while Cuba has only accepted the existence of a market but has not yet formed a market mechanism like ours. From the exchange rate relationship to joint venture trade between the two countries, there are many obstacles due to different mechanisms, not to mention Cuba's current difficulties, including timely payment to Vietnam, because Cuba is facing financial difficulties, " Associate Professor Thao explained. These backlogs need the direction of the highest leaders of the Party and State to be quickly resolved. The visit of the General Secretary is therefore very meaningful and practical. Mr. Thao believes that the upcoming visit to Cuba will open a new page in history, inheriting and developing the Vietnam-Cuba relationship to new heights in the new context of the world, of Vietnam and of Cuba. According to Associate Professor. Thao, we need to place the Vietnam-Cuba relationship in the overall picture of Vietnam's international relations in the current renovation process, while at the same time giving the Vietnam-Cuba relationship a special mechanism to create enough momentum for development and promptly remove obstacles caused by each country's circumstances, including Cuba's circumstances. " Without a special mechanism, many outstanding issues cannot be resolved ," he especially emphasized.

VTC.vn

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/viet-nam-cuba-moi-quan-he-o-tam-cao-dac-biet-ar897633.html