Vietnam-Cambodia joint committee on border affairs meets in Hanoi

The Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Cambodia witness the signing of a mintues of the meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on Land Border  Demarcation and Marker Planting in Hanoi 

A meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on Land Border Demarcation and Marker Planting took place in Hanoi from March 29-31.

The Vietnamese side was led by Le Hoai Trung, Deputy Minister and Chairman of the National Boundary Commission under the Foreign Ministry, while the Cambodian side was headed by Var Kim Hong, Senior Minister in charge of border affairs.

At the meeting, the two sides affirmed highest determination and efforts to complete 84 percent of the border demarcation and marker planting and legalise the accomplishment.

In this spirit, the two sides reviewed the implementation of the work over the past time and agreed to put forth orientations, plans and roadmap, measures to carry out the work in the coming time.

They also reached an agreement on building legal documents recognising the outcome of the border demarcation and maker planting.

On March 31 afternoon, the co-chairs of the Vietnam-Border Joint Committee on Border Demarcation and Border Marker Planting signed a minutes of the meeting in the witness of the Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Cambodia.

PM welcomes Myanmar Vice President

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Vice President of Myanmar U Henry Van Thio 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received Vice President of Myanmar U Henry Van Thio on the sidelines of the sixth Greater Mekong Subregion Summit (GMS-6) in Hanoi on March 31.

The Prime Minister congratulated Myanmar on the country’s new president, while speaking of the Myanmar government’s socio-economic development in recent times. 

Numerous Vietnamese investors are carrying out projects in Myanmar, the PM said, hoping that the government and concerned agencies of Myanmar continue facilitating Vietnamese businesses’ operations there, thus contributing local socio-economic development and fostering the two countries’ friendship.

He proposed both countries, as ASEAN members, continue closely coordinating at multilateral forums for benefits of each side, and for peace and prosperity in the regional and the world. 

Vice President U Henry Van Thio highly valued the role of Vietnam as the host of the GMS-6 summit and the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Summit (CLV-10).

He said Myanmar will continue promoting cooperation with Vietnam in various areas, especially in trade and investment.

He expressed his hope that both sides continue maintaining the exchange of high-level delegations, thereby bringing the two countries’ ties to a new height. 

PM highlights ASEAN chief’s role in promoting regional connectivity

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Lim Jock Hoi 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc received in Hanoi on March 31 Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Lim Jock Hoi on the sidelines of the sixth Greater Mekong Subregion Summit (GMS-6).

The PM highlighted the increasing role of the ASEAN chief and ASEAN Secretariat in promoting regional connectivity and ensuring harmony among nations. 

He said he hopes in the coming time, the ASEAN Secretariat will further promote its function of researching and proposing policies which serve as a basis for member countries’ consultation.

The ASEAN Secretariat also needs to step up supervision and coordination of the implementation of the grouping’s agreements, he said, stressing the principle of consensus.

The PM underlined the ASEAN Secretariat’s tasks of strengthening solidarity among member countries, and maintaining the central role in an open, transparent and rules-based regional architecture based on respect for the interests of each other. 

The PM affirmed Vietnam will do its best to contribute to the bloc’s development while asking the ASEAN Secretary General to coordinate and create conditions for Vietnam to fulfill the role of ASEAN Chair in 2020.

The ASEAN chief said he believes that Vietnam will fulfil its role as ASEAN Chair in 2020, and expressed his wish that PM Phuc will considers financial support in order to contribute to improving effectiveness of the ASEAN Secretariat’s future activities.

PM urges WB to foster cooperation within GMS, CLV

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Joaquim Levy, WB Managing Director and Group Chief Financial Officer

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hopes the World Bank will play a better part in promoting cooperation in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle regions.

The Prime Minister made the remarks at a meeting with Joaquim Levy, WB Managing Director and Group Chief Financial Officer, on March 31, the final day of the sixth GMS Summit (GMS-6) and the 10th CLV Summit (CLV-10).

He said he is pleased with the strong development and effective cooperation between Vietnam and the WB and mentioned the WB as one of Vietnam’s most important partners. He highly appreciated the WB’s support for Vietnam’s socio-economic development in recent years, particularly in poverty reduction.

Levy, for his part, thanked the Government of Vietnam for inviting the WB to the summits, while highlighting the events’ agendas. 

He spoke highly of the effective and practical partnership between Vietnam and other GMS nations. It sets a great example for other countries in the world.

He affirmed the WB attaches importance to cooperation with Vietnam, and appreciates Vietnam’s strong development in recent times, especially in economic growth in connection with inclusive and equal development. 

The WB is willing to support and cooperate with Vietnam, especially in providing capital and technical assistance in the fields of finance, banking, climate change adaptation, and grassroots health care, he stressed. 

While highly valuing the role played by PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc in promoting the private economic sector and infrastructure development, Levy said these are important domains that the WB wants to support nations, thus attracting investment in infrastructure. 

The WB has guarantee instruments, which can support Vietnam in attracting private investment, he noted. 

Both the WB and the Asian Development Bank have projects to support Vietnam, he said, hoping for stronger cooperation among the sides to optimise the support. 

Regarding projects to cope with climate change, Levy affirmed this is an important field and the bank will spend 28 percent of its loans on the work, including for Vietnam. 

Agreeing with Levy’s viewpoints and proposals, PM Phuc underlined that Vietnam has high resolve in climate change response. The country organised a major conference last year to seek solutions to this problem, and it hopes to receive the WB’s assistance in capital, advice and policies in this issue.

He affirmed that Vietnam pledges to effectively use the funded capital, including in the projects financed with the concessional capital of the International Development Association (IDA) in 2017.

As Vietnam still faces a number of difficulties and challenges, he asked the WB to extend the rapid debt settlement schedule for these aid, which is to ease the burden on budget, ensure safe fiscal indices, and facilitate Vietnam’s “graduation” from the IDA.

Aside from climate change response, the PM also asked the WB to provide capital and technical support for Vietnam in other important fields, namely infrastructure, renewable energy, grassroots health care, and education, especially tertiary education. He added Vietnam also hopes to receive assistance in economic restructuring.

Echoing the WB Managing Director’s view, PM Phuc said Vietnam considers businesses the core force in promoting economic growth, and among them, private firms play an important role.

Regarding the programmes and projects the WB plans to finance in 2018, he said relevant ministries and sectors are speeding up the verification so that these projects can receive funding on schedule.

Vietnam, Mali to take steps towards enhanced economic-trade ties

Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Quoc Tru (centre, left) at a meeting with senior officials of Mali to discuss ways to boost the Vietnam-Mali economic-trade ties. 

Vietnam and Mali have agreed on a number of measures to beef up bilateral cooperation in economics and trade during recent meetings between Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Quoc Tru and senior Malian officials in Bamako.

Pham Quoc Tru, who is Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria and Mali, met with the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Trade and Competition, the Minister of Industrial Development, the Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chairman of Permanent Assembly of the Chambers of Agriculture from Mali.

During their meetings as part Tru’s trip to Mali to present his letter of credentials to Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita from March 23-29, the two sides showed confidence in bright prospects of bilateral economic-trade relations and discussed ways to accelerate the ties in the coming time, he told Vietnam News Agency. 

The two nations agreed to take more drastic steps to boost their economic-trade ties in the coming years, according to the ambassador. They plan to sign a series of pacts to improve legal framework for the enhanced cooperation, including a memorandum of understanding on trade and industry, agreements on investment promotion and protection, and double taxation avoidance, and a cooperation document between their Chambers of Commerce and Industry, he added.

They also agreed to soon hold the first meeting of the Vietnam-Mali Inter-Governmental Committee set up in 1994 and increase the exchange of visits at all levels, especially visits by businesses to trade fairs of each country such as the 28th Vietnam International Trade Fair (Vietnam Expo) in April and Mali international industry fair the same month, he said.

Both sides will facilitate exports of fabrics, clothing, seafood, chemicals, rice, pepper, coffee, and agricultural mechanic products to Mali and imports of cotton, gold and cattle from Mali.

According to statistics by the Vietnam Customs, Vietnam’s exports to Mali were valued at 30.2 million USD, including 26.6 million USD worth of crude oil, while imports from the African country reached 42.4 million USD, of which cotton accounted for 42.3 million USD.

During 2005-2009, Vietnam sent 12 agricultural experts and technicians to work in Mali under a quadripartite agreement on the sustainable development programme for Yelimane region, which involved Vietnam, Mali, France and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The project was highly appreciated by the Malian President, Tru said. 

However, it was suspended in March 2012 due to political unrest in Mali. The two sides are considering the possibility to resume the programme, he added.

Vietnam and Mali established diplomatic relations in October 10, 1960, just a month after Mali declared its independence. In 1962, Vietnam opened its embassy in Mali, which was one of two first embassies in Africa.

Embassy celebrates 45 years of Vietnam-Italy relations

Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Cao Chinh Thien (L) and Deputy Director General for Global Issues of the Italian Foreign Ministry Ugo Astuto at the celebration of the countries' diplomatic ties on March 30 

The 45th founding anniversary of the Vietnam-Italy diplomatic ties (March 23, 1973) was marked with a ceremony held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy on March 30.

Addressing Italian officials and representatives of the Vietnamese community, Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Cao Chinh Thien emphasised that bilateral diplomatic ties were set up when Vietnam had not been completely reunified. 

In the trying times, Italy stood side by side with Vietnam. The image of the ship Australe carrying goods that the Italian people presented to the Vietnamese people during wartime became a symbol of the solidarity and friendship between the two countries.

Vietnam-Italy ties are now in their prime. Notably, since a strategic partnership was founded in 2013, they have attained a number of important achievements in politics, economy, culture, society and people-to-people exchange, he added.

The ambassador noted that over the past years, the two countries have actively organised mutual high-level visits to intensify bilateral links and mutual understanding. In 2014 and 2015, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and President Sergio Mattarella of Italy visited Vietnam. They affirmed the determination to enhance multifaceted cooperation and that their country considers Vietnam as a priority to develop its relations with and also as a destination for Italian businesses in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam has shown its respect for the relationship with Italy through the official visits by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong in 2013, then National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung in 2014, then President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan in 2015, and President Tran Dai Quang in 2016.

Thien said bilateral trade has grown strongly, approximating 5 billion USD annually over the last five years. The figure is targeted at 6 billion USD in 2017 and 2018. 

While cultural, tourism, scientific and educational relations have been expanded, locality-to-locality cooperation has also been promoted. With the wholehearted support of Italian people, the Vietnamese community in the country has also actively maintained and popularised Vietnam’s culture.

He added that Italy is an important European partner of Vietnam, and the Southeast Asian nation always wants to bolster the strategic partnership in all fields in a result-oriented manner. It is important to renew bilateral relations to elevate their ties and fully tap each country’s potential.

For his part, Deputy Director General for Global Issues of the Italian Foreign Ministry Ugo Astuto highlighted the countries’ traditional amity, valuing the accomplishments that they have obtained over the last 45 years.

There remains huge potential for both sides to develop cooperation in all spheres, he said, expressing his belief that bilateral relations will continue to flourish in the time ahead.

Lao front delegation visits Quang Ninh province

A delegation of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) Central Committee led by its Vice President Nhotkeomany Suphanuvong is paying a working trip to the northeastern province of Quang Ninh on March 30-31. 

During a working session on March 30, Chairman of the provincial Fatherland Front Committee Nguyen Van Huong shared experience in developing the front work and briefed the guests about the province’s socio-economic situation and the beauty of the world natural heritage Ha Long Bay. 

Suphanuvong, for her part, said the LFNC has upheld its role of calling on people of all ethnic groups and religions to unite together for national development. 

She expressed her trust on the Vietnam-Laos solidarity and wished that the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the provincial Fatherland Front Committee of Quang Ninh will continue assisting the LFNC in the front work. 

Earlier, the delegation offered incense at Tan Trao temple, visited the special national relic of Tan Trao, and Lao revolutionary relic site in the northern province of Tuyen Quang, and travelled to the northern province of Phu Tho.

Vietnam, Malaysia enjoy flourishing bilateral ties: Diplomat

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong host​ed Malaysian King Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah in Hanoi on September 6, 2013 

The friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Malaysia has been developing fruitfully, contributing to benefiting their people, and promoting peace; stability and prosperity in the region and the world, a Vietnamese official has said. 

In an exclusive interview to Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-Malaysia diplomatic ties, Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Le Quy Quynh affirmed the two countries are enjoying a strong development in their bilateral relations across fields, from politics-diplomacy, defence-security, the economy, to culture exchange. 

Since the two nations’ leaders agreed to upgrade the relations to Strategic Partnership during then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Malaysia in August 2015, Vietnam and Malaysia have witnessed leaps in bilateral diplomatic ties on the basis of mutual trust, he stated.

The two sides have regularly maintained the exchange of high-level delegations through all channels of party, state, government and parliament as well as people-to-people exchange. 

Leaders of both nations have always paid due attention to promoting and maintaining cooperation mechanisms. 

To concretise the Joint Statement on the framework for the Vietnam-Malaysia Strategic Partnership, the first Vietnam-Malaysia Senior Officials' Strategic Dialogue took place in Hanoi in April 2016.

The bilateral defence-security bond has also seen rapid expansion, which resulted from many visits of officials from the two countries’ defence ministries, including those made by Vietnamese defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich in October 2016 and by Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Defence Minister Phan Van Giang to Malaysia in March 2018.

The two countries have also effectively cooperated in education and tourism. Many Vietnamese students have received scholarships to pursue training courses in Malaysia. Malaysia is among the top ten biggest Asian tourism markets of Vietnam, with about 400,000 Malaysians visiting Vietnam in 2017.

Quynh stressed that trade and investment between Vietnam and Malaysia is one of the bright spots in their bilateral relations, affirming that there is great potential for the two sides to boost links in this field. 

Malaysia is the eighth largest trade partner of Vietnam, while Vietnam is the 12th biggest trade partners of Malaysia. Two-way trade in 2017 hit 10.068 billion USD, up 19.06 percent year-on-year.  The two countries are striving to lift their trade to 15 billion USD by 2020 under the Action Plan for 2017-2019. 

Regarding investment, Malaysia ranks seventh among 125 countries and territories investing in Vietnam. By the end of December 2017, Malaysia has nearly 600 investment projects worth 12.178 billion USD. 

To further promote their trade and investment bond, the two sides launched the Malaysia-Vietnam Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia in January 2017, which works to connect enterprises of the two countries, thus creating more business and investment opportunities between the two sides. 

In term of multilateral cooperation, the two countries are member of key cooperation mechanisms such ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the United Nations, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Quynh said. 

They shared viewpoints in many issues such as the central role played by ASEAN in the regional security architecture, the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and the necessity to accelerate the early signing of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), he added. 

In a recent ceremony held by the Embassy to celebrate the 45th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, the Malaysian side applauded fruitful achievements in the bilateral relations, expressing the belief that the relationship will be strengthened in the time ahead, for the sake of the two countries’ people as well as for peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world, Quynh said.

PM: Vietnam commits to realising GMS priorities

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the plenary meeting of the GMS Business Summit in Hanoi on March 30 

The Government of Vietnam commits to implementing initiatives of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and is translating them into reality, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at the plenary meeting of the GMS Business Summit in Hanoi on March 30.

The PM affirmed that Vietnam focuses on creating a favourable environment for development, improving institutional and legal groundwork, enhancing management capacity in order to bring about equal opportunities for all economic sectors, while paying attention to training and development of human resources, infrastructure development, and only considers investing into important areas which have proved difficult for private businesses to invest in.

“Vietnam will continue improving the business environment to create a facilitative and competitive business environment,” he said, adding the country has worked to implement its commitments to protecting intellectual property, innovative ideas and inventions of start-ups.

The country will continue to boost tax policy reforms and corporate tax rate will be decreased to 15 – 17 percent and put in place many preferential regulations for investment in advanced technology, supporting industries, and high-tech organic agriculture, and other areas that create a lot of employment opportunities, he pledged.

As one of the three pillars of the GMS, the Government of Vietnam currently prioritises investing and attracting investment in the vital transport routes, he said.

The country is actively promoting investment in transport infrastructure on the East-West, North-South, and southern economic corridors, he added.

The Vietnamese Government also commits to implementing initiatives to support border trade, investment, tourism, agriculture and economy, as well as other forms of cross-border economic cooperation.

The leader said Vietnam will further promote active international integration in the GMS and the CLV. From 2018 to 2019, the Southeast Asian nation will focus on the signing and ratification of two new-generation free trade agreements, namely Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

In his speech, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed nearly 2,600 investors and entrepreneurs of the region and the world to Vietnam to attend the 6th GMS Summit and the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Summit, saying that they are the major driver of GMS economic growth.

Amidst the profound transformations underway in the world economy and development environment, the GMS needs to find more robust drivers for its development such as promoting effective use of both internal and outside resources, effectively harnessing the technological advancements and breakthroughs, and ensuring rapid and sustainable development remain a top priority, he said.

The plenary session also heard speeches by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Cha-o-cha, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, Myanmar Vice President U Henry Van Thio, State Councilor of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi, President of the Asia Development Bank Takehiko Nakao, Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Lim Jock Hoi, and World Bank Managing Director and World Bank Group Chief Financial Officer Joaquim Levy.

The event saw the paricipation of representatives from nearly 100 international organisations and development partners, together with more than 2,000 domestic busineses and those outside the GMS region.

PM urges ADB to continue promoting GMS, CLV cooperation

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) and ADB President Takehiko Nakao 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has expressed wish that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will continue playing an important role in promoting Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) and Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) cooperation frameworks. 

PM Phuc made the statement during a reception in Hanoi on March 30 for ADB President Takehiko Nakao, who is in the capital city to attend the sixth GMS Summit and the tenth CLV Development Triangle Summit. 

The PM noted that Vietnam attaches importance to the GMS and CLV cooperation and stands ready to work closely with member countries, ADB and development partners. 

The Vietnamese Government supports ADB’s Strategy 2030 to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and to continue assisting its member states in dealing with issues such as poverty, uneven development, climate change and development of the private sector, he said. 

PM Phuc spoke highly of ADB’s policies of incorporating low-cost capital and special loans into a balance sheet, thus helping to increase loan resources for member countries, from 14 billion USD in 2014 to an estimated 20 billion USD in 2020. 

Hailing ADB as one of the leading capital and technical assistance suppliers and consultants, the PM said ADB has funded over 16 billion USD to 165 programmes and projects in Vietnam, which helped build roads, electricity and irrigation system, schools and hospitals. 

The Vietnamese leader told his guest that the government is striving to reform economic sectors, including finance-banking, and wants to receive assistance from ADB, especially the Asian Development Fund (ADF)’s preferential loans with extended payment deadline. 

PM Phuc called for ADB’s continued technical assistance, capacity improvement and policy consultations for Vietnam, as well as official development assistance (ODA) and loans used in prioritized fields of climate change, infrastructure, rural agriculture, education, health care and poverty reduction. 

The government leader said Vietnam will do its best and coordinate with ADB to successfully hold the GMS Summit. 

Nakao, for his part, described Vietnam as an important partner of ADB, adding that the bank wants to offer more capital to Vietnam, given that its economy is growing with the public debt-to-GDP ratio of nearly 61 percent. 

The President said ADB will provide roughly 613 million USD in ADF preferential loans for Vietnam this year and suggested the country use the funding in several fields, including finance and hoped that it will be used effectively. 

Nakao said ADB wants to receive the list of projects using such loans in the middle of this year so that it could be approved in the third quarter. 

He added that ADB and several partners are planning to offer roughly 1 billion USD in low-cost loans to foster Vietnam’s development, especially in its efforts to respond to climate change.

Vietnam, Singapore boast cooperation potential

Vietnam-Singapore industrial park in Quang Ngai 

Vietnam and Singapore have potential for cooperation in high technology, digital and software technologies, and in the development of Vietnam-Singapore industrial parks in Vietnam, said Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob.

President Yacob made the statement while receiving Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Tao Thi Thanh Huong who presented her credentials to him on March 29.

He proposed both sides continue boosting collaboration in socio-economic development, with focus on cooperation in development of businesses, while strengthening cultural exchanges.

Ambassador Huong showed her impression at achievements that the government and people of Singapore have gained over the past years, making Singapore a leading developing country and an economic, financial, science-technology, education and health care hub of the world.

The diplomat expressed her pleasure at the growing bilateral relations in all fields as well as potential of future cooperation.

Besides strong mutual understanding and trust, the two countries have maintained exchanges of delegations at all levels and among localities, she noted.

Currently, seven Vietnam-Singapore industrial parks (VSIP) are operating in Vietnam. The two countries signed an agreement to build the eighth one in the central province of Quang Tri in 2017 during Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to Vietnam.

Singapore is the third largest investor of Vietnam and the biggest one among ASEAN member countries.

Ambassador Huong stressed that 2018 is an important year for the two countries as they are celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties and five-year strategic partnership. The Vietnamese Embassy in Singapore will work hard to organise the event, she said.

At the same time, Vietnam will work closely with Singapore in performing the latter’s role of ASEAN Chair this year, added Huong.

Cuban official highlights significance of CPV leader’s visit

The State visit to Cuba by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong demonstrates Vietnam’s respect for the historical values of Cuba’s revolution and its wish to consolidate relations with the Latin American nation.

The remark was made by Jose Ramon Balaguer Cabrera, Chairman of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee’s Department for External Relations, in an interview given to Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the visit.

He reiterated that Cuba-Vietnam ties are pure, faithful and fraternal relations. Cuba attaches special importance to continuing to develop this relationship which can be assessed as exemplary.

The trip by the CPV leader reflects the two Parties, Governments and peoples’ resolve to foster and materialise bilateral connections. It sends a message about the solidarity and the will to support each other of the communists in the current global situation.

Vietnam is an example for not only Cuba but also the whole world, particularly progressive movements and forces in the world, he said, adding that the CPV has artfully led Vietnam’s reforms, which have resulted in widely recognised successes.

Since Cuba’s revolution became successful in January 1, 1959, Cuban and Vietnamese people have embarked on a long and uninterrupted path of friendship and comradeship.

During the Vietnamese leader’s tour, youths of the two countries joined in an exchange. The Cuban official said young people need to strengthen the special bilateral ties, which were nurtured by late President Ho Chi Minh and Commander in Chief Fidel Castro.

The core of the two nations’ sentiment was shaped in the ideology of Fidel Castro and Ho Chi Minh. Studying their works and making their ideas come true is the best way for the youths to solidify Cuba-Vietnam connections, he noted.

Jose Ramon Balaguer Cabrera said bilateral economic-trade partnerships began on December 2, 1966, when the countries signed the first agreements. Since then, the relations in this field have been expanded and diversified.

Their economic ties can be reinforced through optimising this aspect according to each country’s conditions. This is an achievable target as both sides share a common political will, he added.