Vietnam - Cuba Solidarity: Torch-Lit Cooperation Path, Highlighted by Deputy Foreign Minister

In a recent press conference, Deputy Foreign Minister Đặng Hoàng Giang announced the launch of a nationwide campaign to rally support for the Cuban people, marking the occasion of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Year and the 65th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between the two nations. This year, designated for 2025, is set to be a significant milestone in the long-standing relationship between the two countries.

The legacy of solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba, dating back to the foundational work of President Hồ Chí Minh, José Martí, and leader Fidel Castro, is intended to endure. This relationship has consistently overcome challenges and developed comprehensively, despite global turbulence.

One of the most promising areas of cooperation is agriculture. The first rice harvest in 2025 under the rice development programme in Cuba yielded 7.2 tonnes per hectare, over four times the local average. This success is a testament to the multiple rice, corn, and aquaculture projects aimed at strengthening Cuba's food security, a result of the agricultural cooperation between the two nations.

Vietnam is currently Cuba's second-largest trading partner and its biggest investor from the Asia-Pacific region. The bilateral cooperation will continue to deepen in politics, diplomacy, trade, agriculture, energy, education, healthcare, biotechnology, green technology, and digital transformation.

Political trust has been enhanced through frequent exchanges of high-level delegations. The state visit to Cuba in September 2024 by Party General Secretary Tô Lâm was a historic milestone. The visit of First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez to Vietnam, scheduled from August 31 to September 2, is another testament to the strong ties between the two nations.

People-to-people exchange will be a key focus, aiming to raise public awareness of the special friendship. The focus on the special trust, pure sentiment, and solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba has been emphasized by Deputy Foreign Minister Đặng Hoàng Giang, with the aim of consolidating and developing the bilateral ties for the benefits of the two peoples and for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

In future cooperation, government officials, diplomats, trade representatives, agricultural and energy experts, educators, health and biotech professionals, and experts in digital and green technologies from both countries will be involved. Close coordination and support for each other at multilateral forums will be a focus for both nations.

The ties between Vietnam and Cuba have a long history, and the focus on the special trust, pure sentiment, and solidarity between the two nations has been emphasized. Giang recalled President Hồ Chí Minh's assertion that the two peoples, despite being oceans apart, are as close as brothers and Fidel Castro's pledge in 1966 that "For Vietnam, Cuba is willing to shed its blood".

As the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Year approaches, both nations are set to see intensified exchanges to promote the efficacy of the bilateral cooperation across all channels. The goal is to strengthen the ties between the two nations and ensure that the legacy of solidarity between Vietnam and Cuba continues to endure.

Vietnam - Cuba Solidarity: Torch-Lit Cooperation Path, Highlighted by Deputy Foreign Minister