General Secretary and President To Lam meets with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz

On the afternoon of September 26 (local time), in the capital Havana, General Secretary and President To Lam met with Politburo member and Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba Manuel Marrero Cruz.

Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz expressed his honour to welcome General Secretary and President To Lam; affirmed that the visit of the General Secretary and President is an event of historical significance in the relationship between the two countries; and thanked the close brotherly affection, valuable support and assistance that the Party, State and people of Vietnam have always given to the Party, State and people of Cuba.

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz congratulated the Party, State and people of Vietnam on the great achievements in the renovation process over the past 40 years, and highly appreciated Vietnam's efforts in overcoming the consequences of the recent storm No. 3 (Yagi).

General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his joy at meeting the Prime Minister and his close Cuban comrades again, emphasizing that the Party, State and people of Vietnam are deeply grateful and always remember the wholehearted support of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, generations of leaders and people of Cuba for the cause of national liberation, construction and defense of the Vietnamese people; and expressed his emotion at the sharing and assistance of the Party, State and people of Cuba for the Vietnamese people during the recent storm No. 3.

General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his respect and appreciation for the achievements that the Cuban people have made on the path to socialism in the context of many difficulties and challenges; firmly believing that, on the basis of the correct guidelines, determination and great efforts, the heroic Party, State and people of Cuba will continue to overcome difficulties and challenges and gain many new victories.

Comrade To Lam affirmed the consistent stance of the Party, State and people of Vietnam to unite and strongly support the just struggle of the heroic Cuban people.

General Secretary and President To Lam and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz discussed the cooperation situation between the two countries in recent times; expressed their delight that the Vietnam-Cuba relationship in the fields of politics, foreign affairs and defense continues to be strengthened, becoming increasingly deep, effective, trustworthy and sustainable.

The two sides discussed in depth measures to enhance the effectiveness of Vietnam-Cuba cooperation in various fields; emphasized the need for the two governments to continue promoting existing cooperation mechanisms, including the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, and consider establishing new necessary mechanisms; actively implement the agreements reached and expand cooperation between departments, ministries, branches and localities in various fields, in flexible forms.

Emphasizing that Vietnam is currently the second largest trade partner and the largest investor from Asia and Oceania in Cuba, General Secretary and President To Lam and Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz agreed to promote and improve the effectiveness of economic cooperation, stressing that the two sides need to continue to pay attention to and effectively implement agricultural cooperation projects, and research new directions for effective and sustainable cooperation.

The Cuban Prime Minister affirmed that he would create favorable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to operate and contribute to the Cuban economy. General Secretary and President To Lam suggested that both sides actively promote the trade agreement between the two countries, striving to increase trade turnover to 500 million USD in the next 5 years.

The two sides agreed to promote research and expand cooperation in agriculture and food processing industry, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical services, telecommunications, justice, tourism, construction, transportation, high technology, digital transformation, innovation and other fields.

General Secretary and President To Lam and Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz agreed to continue exchanging and closely coordinating on international issues, supporting each other's legitimate interests.