Cuban PM Manuel Marrero Cruz begins Vietnam visit
VOV.VN - A high-level delegation of Cuba led by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz arrived in Hanoi on September 28 evening, beginning a five-day official visit to Vietnam.
A plane carrying PM Manuel Marrero Cruz and his entourage touched down at Noi Bai International airport at around 10pm. He was accompanied by a number of ministers in charge of foreign trade and investment, health, agriculture, and sports.
They were welcomed at the airport by Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Tran Van Son and Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Thanh Tung, and Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Orlando Nicolás Hernández Guillén were also on hand.
This is Marrero Cruz’s first visit outside Latin America since he took office in December 2019. And it is also the first visit to Vietnam by a senior Cuban leader since 2018.
The visit is to implement agreements reached between the two countries’ senior leaders so as to further tighten the friendship, fidelity, mutual trust and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, Governments and people of Vietnam and Cuba.
During his stay in Vietnam, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and meet with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.
He will witness the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents, attend a Vietnam - Cuba business forum, and meet with leaders of Ho Chi Minh City.
Vietnam and Cuba established diplomatic relations on December 2, 1960, two years after the success of the Cuban Revolution. Vietnam supports Cuba in developing agriculture and aquaculture production. Cuba imports from Vietnam about 300,000 to 400,000 tonnes of rice per year.
Some Vietnamese enterprises are implementing investment projects on industrial park infrastructure construction, building material production, washing powder production in Cuba.
Cuba has so far provided Vietnam with 5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and expressed its willingness to send medical teams to help Vietnam fight the virus.
In September 2021, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc made a working trip to Cuba, the first visit by a foreign head of state to Cuba since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.