Cuba wishes to augment socio-economic cooperation with Vietnam

The First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party Central Committee (CCPCC) President of the State Council and the Council of Ministers Raúl Castro affirmed his nation’s desire to share experience in various realms and advance bilateral socio-economic development cooperation with Vietnam.

At a June 18 reception for  Politburo member and Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Pham Quang Nghi, who led a delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) on an official visit to Cuba, Castro recalled  the fond memories of the faithful  and pure relationship between the two peoples of Vietnam and Cuba and compared notes on some issues of shared concern.

Nghi extended  greetings from Vietnamese Party and State leaders to Cuban Revolution leader Fidel Castro and President Raúl Castro while briefing his hosts on the results of the working visit to Cuba and reiterating the  Vietnamese people’s consistent sentiment toward Cuba as well as their determination to help bilateral ties grown and flourish in the time to come.

At an earlier working session with Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca, Nghi also expressed the nation’s wish to elevate economic and trade links on a par with the fine political relations between the two nations.

Minister Malmierca, who is also co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee between the two countries assured Cuba’s willingness to welcome Vietnamese investors to Mariel special development zone.

He said he hopes, the two sides would take more concrete steps to realize enhanced cooperation agreement between the two leaders at the forthcoming third Intergovernmental Committee.

The same day, Mr. Pham Quang Nghi and his delegation visited Mariel special development zone, 25 km from the West of Havana where there is the only deep water port that is seen as an ideal place for investment attraction in the coming years.

On June 19, the Vietnamese delegation left Havana for Hanoi, concluding their working visit to Cuba.

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Both leaders spoke on the historical relation between the two countries and the good health of bilateral relations, and on the need to strengthen cooperation bonds.

On the Laotian side were present Thongsavanh Phomvihane, deputy chief of Foreign Relations of the Central Committee of the Lao PDR, and Ambassador to Cuba Buakeo Phumvongsay, among other officials.

On the Cuban side were Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and Gerardo Peñalver, general director of bilateral affairs of the Foreign Ministry.