Vietnam and Cuba leaders support strengthening agricultural cooperation

On the afternoon of September 26 (local time), immediately following the official State-level welcoming ceremony at the Palace of the Revolution in Havana, General Secretary and President To Lam held high-level talks with First Secretary and President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.

Mr. Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez once again extended his deepest condolences on the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and expressed his profound appreciation for the late General Secretary’s significant contributions to the revolutionary cause in Vietnam, the development of Vietnam-Cuba relations, as well as his tireless dedication to the global socialist movement.

The First Secretary and President of Cuba emphasized that this first State visit to Cuba by General Secretary and President To Lam, in his capacity as the head of both the Party and State of Vietnam, demonstrated the deep respect and revolutionary solidarity between the two Parties and nations.

General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Cuban leaders and people for their warm sentiments, thoughtful reception, and their camaraderie, which further illustrates the special relationship between the two Parties and countries. As President Ho Chi Minh once said, “Vietnam and Cuba are separated by thousands of miles, but the hearts of the two peoples are as close as brothers in one family.”

The General Secretary and President also expressed his deep emotion and gratitude for the solidarity and support from the Party, State, and people of Cuba in helping the Vietnamese people overcome the severe aftermath of Typhoon Yagi.

General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that Vietnam continuously monitors Cuba’s development and highly values the policies and measures that Cuba has implemented. These include efforts in ideological work, the pursuit of peace, the updating of socio-economic development models, and overcoming challenges and difficulties.

Both leaders are committed to furthering the traditional solidarity, special friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba, aiming to elevate their relationship to new heights of substance, effectiveness, and sustainability.

In this spirit, they agreed to enhance mutual understanding, exchange, and coordination on political and strategic matters. Both sides will collaborate in organizing the 6th Theoretical Workshop between the two Parties and the 2nd International Scientific Workshop, focusing on the revolutionary visions of President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban Revolutionary Leader Fidel Castro, along with other cooperative activities in the near future.

The two leaders supported the coordination between relevant agencies from both countries in researching agricultural production cooperation models. These efforts aim to assist Cuba in boosting local output and production capacity, developing its agricultural sector, and ensuring food security. Additionally, they agreed to promote and expand cooperation in energy, biotechnology, healthcare, tourism, telecommunications, and construction, while also fostering collaboration between localities and the people of both nations.

Immediately following the talks, the two leaders oversaw the signing of seven cooperation documents between various ministries, sectors, and localities of the two countries. These included: a coordination plan between the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Central Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of Cuba; a cooperation agreement between the Central Economic Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Central Economic and Production Commission of the Communist Party of Cuba; a cooperation agreement between Communist Magazine and Socialist Cuba Magazine; a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation between the State Bank of Vietnam and the Central Bank of Cuba; an agreement establishing friendship and cooperation between Vinh Phuc province, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and Mayabeque province, Republic of Cuba; an MoU on cooperation between the People’s Committee of Quang Tri province and the Ministry of Health of Cuba; a cooperation document between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the Ministry of Agriculture of Cuba.