General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation arrived in Hanoi on April 1, successfully wrapping up their official visit to France from March 25-27 and state visit to Cuba from March 28-30.


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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong



During his stay in France, Party General Secretary Trong held talks with  President Emmanuel Macron; met Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, President of the National Assembly Francois De Rugy; President of the Senate Gérard Larcher; laid wreaths at the statue of late President Ho Chi Minh to commemorate the national hero in Montreuil city and visited Choisy Le Roi City, where negotiations on the Paris Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam took place from from May 1968 to March 1973.

Also, the Party Chief received leading enterprises in France and met with Vietnamese intelligence in the European country.

At the meeting, both sides exchanges measures to set up frameworks and create new momentum to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership, thus opening a new development phase for the two countries. 

Regional and international issues of mutual concerns, especially the regional security were also on the table. They agreed that all disputes must be settled by peaceful means, based on international regulations and each nation should be responsible for regional security and development.

While in Cuba, Party General Secretary Trong held talks with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central Committee and President of the Councils of State and Ministers of Cuba General Raul Castro Ruz. He had meetings with Second Secretary of the PCC Central Committee José Ramón Machado Ventura, Politburo member and President of the National Assembly  Esteban Lazo Hernández, and Politburo member and First Vice President of the Cuban Council of State and the Council of Ministers Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez.

The Vietnamese and Cuban leaders agreed that the special friendship and solidarity between the two countries is a symbol of the era and an invaluable asset of the Parties and people.

They resolved to bolster of the friendship fostered by late President Ho Chi Minh and Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro.

The leaders agreed on the importance of expanding and deepening the friendship and comprehensive co-operation between the two countries, thus actively contributing to their national construction and defence, and to maintaining peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.

During the talks, they expressed their joy at the flourishing bilateral relations between the two nations, and affirmed their determination to turn the special relations into a new development period, on the basis of political trust.

They stressed the two sides should work closely to improve the efficiency of bilateral economic, trade and investment co-operation, while comparing their notes on international and regional issues of common concern.

On the occasion, the Party leader laid a wreath and paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh and Cuban hero José Martí and Cuban revolutionary Leader Fidel Castro Ruz, visited Santiago De Cuba and Vo Thi Thang primary school, and met with youth people of the two countries.

Over 40 documents, agreements and cooperative contracts were inked during his visit to France and Cuba, which will allow the relations between Vietnam and the two countries to develop in a stronger and more efficient manner in the future.

Vietnam’s Party leader sends thank-you message to Raul Castro Ruz


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General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and Raul Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of Cuba, pays tribute to Fidel Castro at the late leader's tomb in Santiago de Cuba on March 30 



General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong has sent a thank-you message to General Raul Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of Cuba, after concluding a State visit to the country from March 28 to 30.

In his message, the Vietnamese leader said he and the high-ranking delegation of Vietnam are happy about the fine outcomes of the State visit to Cuba, noting that the trip left profound sentiment and impressions in them and was a vivid demonstration of the special relationship between the two Parties, States and peoples.

“We firmly believe that the outcomes of this visit will greatly contribute to the inheritance and promotion of the Vietnam – Cuba traditional solidarity and friendship and, particularly, foster and improve the effectiveness of cooperation between our two countries in the new period,” he wrote.

He sent sincere thanks to Raul Castro, leaders of the Party and State and people of Cuba for their warm reception for the Vietnamese delegation during the visit.

The General Secretary wished the Cuban people, under the clear-sighted leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba, will continue to gain even greater accomplishments in the socio-economic model update and successfully achieve the target of building a socialist Cuba of prosperity and sustainability.

He also wished the exemplary comradeship and fraternity, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and solidarity between the Vietnamese and Cuban Parties, States and peoples will be increasingly strengthened. 

Party official: Party chief's visits bolster ties with France, Cuba


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Head of the CPV Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan 



The freshly-concluded  visits to France and Cuba by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong created a new driving force and made important breakthroughs in bilateral ties, said head of the CPV Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan.

During an interview granted to the media on the outcomes of the visits, Quan said they were the first visits to Europe and Latin America by the Party chief during the 12th National Party Congress tenure.

The France official visit took place at a time when the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the fifth anniversary of bilateral strategic partnership. It aimed to create a new framework, orientations and driving force to further deepen bilateral strategic partnership, especially in trade and investment.

Meanwhile, the Cuba State visit marked the first high-level meeting between the two countries since Leader Fidel Castro Ruz passed away. It took place at a time when Cuba recently successfully held the election of all-level People’s Councils and legislature for the 2018-2023 and strives to launch the policy of updating socio-economic development.

The visit vividly reflected friendship and solidarity between the two Parties, States and peoples, aiming to strongly support Cuba’s revolutionary cause and lift bilateral economic, trade and investment ties to a greater height.

About outstanding outcomes of the visits, Quan said the Vietnam – France Joint Statement and Vietnam – Cuba Joint Statement reflect long-term vision and strategy and common high determination and political commitment to boost Vietnam – France, Vietnam – Cuba ties.

The two joint statements mentioned specific cooperation measures, from politics, national defence-security, economy, trade, investment, to culture, education-training, science-technology, law, agriculture, climate change response, localities’ cooperation and people-to-people exchange.

Both sides underscored the importance of regularly maintaining meetings between leaders, strengthening political trust and promptly orienting cooperation fields. French and Cuban leaders also promised to visit Vietnam soon.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese ministries and agencies signed a total of 43 cooperation agreements and economic deals in important fields and French and Cuban counterparts, including 21 agreements and 8 deals with France and 22 agreements and four deals with Cuba.

Vietnamese and French enterprises signed economic deals worth over 10 billion EUR across aviation, information technology, energy and infrastructure.

The Party chief's meetings with leading French corporations and businesses brought them new insight into business opportunities in Vietnam. In particular, high-ranking leaders showed high determination to soon sign and ratify the Vietnam – European Union Free Trade Agreement within this year, thus creating a new driving force and economic and investment opportunities for Vietnam and EU member states.

The Vietnamese leader encouraged French firms to increase investment in Vietnam, especially in fields of France's strength and Vietnam's demand such as information technology, clean energy and organic agriculture.

Via the French Development Agency, France pledged to assist Vietnam in projects regarding climate change response, sustainable development, environment protection, disaster prevention and green projects in the city.

While in the Latin American country, Cuban leaders committed all possible support to Vietnamese firms to enter the Cuban market via signing projects, particularly in energy, telecommunications, tourism, construction, health services, industry, agriculture, food, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and transport.

During the Vietnam – Cuba Business Forum, the two countries businesses discussed in an open, practical and effective manner to bring investment opportunities to each other, especially when a new trade agreement between the two countries is to be signed soon.

The visits promoted common perceptions of high-ranking leaders about the need to work closely together to maintain peace and security amidst rapid and complicated developments in the region and the world.

The Vietnamese Party chief together with French and Cuban leaders expressed support for a multi-polar world order based on multilateralism, appreciated the role of the United Nations and committed to respecting independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, self-determination rights and political regime of each other. They stressed that all disputes need to be settled by peaceful means in respect for international law and the UN Charter.

The visits developed an extensive vision about attaching Vietnam – France ties with the development of ASEAN - EU as well as Asia-Europe linkages, and attaching Vietnam – Cuba ties with the development of Latin America – Caribbean and Asia-Pacific ties.

The Vietnamese leader met French friends who helped the delegation of Paris Agreement negotiators 45 years ago, received France – Vietnam Friendship Association and Cuba – Vietnam Friendship Association members, met Vietnamese and Cuban young people and paid tribute to Cuban war martyrs.

In Cuba, he presented Golden Star Order, the most noble distinction of Vietnam, to President Raul Castro Ruz and officially announced that Vietnam has decided to waive all government debts owed by Cuba.

He also granted 5,000 tonnes of rice to Cuba and talked with Vietnamese community in France and Cuba, during which he reiterated the Party and State s consistent policy of considering the OV community abroad an inseparable part of the Vietnamese nation and spoke highly of their contributions to national development and their role as bridge connecting Vietnam with France and Cuba.

As regards the prospects of Vietnam – France, Vietnam – Cuba ties, Quan said both countries share high political trust and the two peoples are closely-knitted, which have laid a foundation for extended ties. The two sides also share similar interests and viewpoints as well as supplementary cooperation potentials.

Quan expressed his optimism about the future of Vietnam’s ties with France and Cuba, believing that bilateral partnership will propel to a greater height that matches their fine political relations.


VNA