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Nov 09, 2018 / 17:29

Cuba President visits Vietnam to boost long-standing friendship

The three-day visit is reported to focus on economic partnership besides measures to enhance relationship in defense, security and diplomacy, among others.

Cuban President Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez is visiting Vietnam as part of his first official overseas tour since taking office in April with an aim to deepen ties between the two countries whose friendship has lasted for 58 years. 
 
Cuban President Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez visits Vietnam on November 9. Photo: Vietnamnews
Vietnamese CPV General Secretary, President Nguyen Phu Trong hosts a welcome ceremony for Cuban President Miguel Mario Díaz-Canel Bermúdez on November 9. Photo: Vietnam News
On November 9, President Nguyen Phu Trong welcomed the Cuban counterpart and bestowed the Ho Chi Minh Order upon him as a sign showing Vietnam’s honor to the Cuban friend. 

This is the first time Trong receives a foreign state dignitary after he was elected president by the National Assembly late last month following the death of President Tran Dai Quang due to a prolonged disease.

The three-day visit is reported to focus on economic partnership besides measures to enhance relationship in defense, security and diplomacy, and promote cooperation in agriculture, biotechnology, pharmaceutical sector, healthcare, education, science, and people-to-people exchanges.

On the first day of the stay, the two leaders witnessed the signing of some agreements signed by the ministers of trade and finance. 

The two sides inked two important agreements namely the Vietnam-Cuba new trade agreement and financial protocol to implement the cooperation in developing rice in Cuba in the 2019-2023 period. 

The Cuban president will have meetings with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the National Assembly’s Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and Ho Chi Minh City’s leaders and visit Saigon Hi-tech Park.  

Diaz-Canel said all the Cubans had great admiration for Vietnam’s struggles for independence and thanked Vietnam for its support in efforts to lift the U.S economic embargo on the island country. 

The two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on partnership for the 2016-2020 period with a focus on tax management and innovation systems, training manpower in finance sector, and implementing projects signed by the joint-government committee. 

Currently, Vietnam is among 10 biggest investors in Cuba and ranks Cuba’s second largest Asian partners. 

In terms of trade, two-way trade reached US$224.3 million in 2017 with Vietnam’s main export items of rice, chemicals, coal, garment, and computers while Cuban products include pharmaceuticals. 

With the new trade agreement, the two countries targets to raise trade value to US$500 million by 2020. 

This is not the first visit by the new Cuban president to Vietnam. Diaz-Canel visited Vietnam in June 2013 when he was the first vice president of the Councils of State, and Ministers.

Vietnam is the fourth stop of Diaz-Canel's official overseas trip to traditional allies that include Russia, North Korea, China and Laos.