Việt Nam and Cuba hold the 8th Political Consultation on July 25 under the chair of Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba Gerardo Peñalver Portal. VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI Việt Nam and Cuba have agreed on orientations and measures to further deepen and comprehensively develop their special friendship and comprehensive cooperation.

Both countries will continue to coordinate closely on implementing the results of the state visit to Cuba by General Secretary and President Tô Lâm (September 2024), especially in important areas such as food production, energy, and biotechnology. The goal is to elevate the trade and investment relationship to a level commensurate with the excellent political ties between the two countries.

This was the content agreed upon by the leaders of the two foreign ministries after they reviewed and evaluated cooperation between the two countries in many fields, as well as cooperation between the two ministries of Foreign Affairs, at the 8th Political Consultation on July 25.

The Political Consultation was co-chaired by Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyễn Minh Vũ and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba Gerardo Peñalver Portal, and part of the latter’s visit to Việt Nam from July 22-25, 2025.

On the occasion, Permanent Deputy Minister Vũ briefed First Deputy Minister Gerardo Peñalver Portal and the Cuban delegation on Việt Nam's recent socio-economic situation and its development orientations for the future.

He affirmed that the Party, State, and people of Việt Nam always treasure the traditional solidarity, special friendship, and comprehensive cooperation with Cuba. He expressed his confidence that the Party, State, and people of Cuba will overcome their current difficulties and challenges, successfully update their socio-economic model, improve the people's living standards, and work towards the successful preparation for the 9th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba in April 2026.

On this part, Portal affirmed that Cuba always values and wishes to further deepen the special traditional relationship with Việt Nam, founded by Việt Nam’s late President Hồ Chí Minh and Cuban Leader Fidel Castro. He expressed sincere gratitude for the solidarity and heartfelt support that the Party, State, and people of Việt Nam have always provided to Cuba over the years. The Deputy Minister also briefed his Vietnamese counterpart on the situation in Cuba, the results of the implementation of its updated socio-economic model, and the measures Cuba is taking to overcome its current difficulties and challenges.

The two sides agreed to continue promoting high-level visits and contacts, and to enhance the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms such as the Theoretical Workshop between the two Parties, the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, and the Political Consultation between the two ministries of Foreign Affairs.

They also agreed to strengthen exchanges between ministries, sectors, localities, and the business communities of the two countries, and to coordinate closely in organising a series of activities to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Cuba in 2025, the "Year of Vietnam-Cuba Friendship".

The two sides also had an in-depth exchange on international and regional issues of mutual concern, and agreed to continue to consult, coordinate closely, and support each other at multilateral forums of which Việt Nam and Cuba are members.

Following the Political Consultation, Permanent Deputy Minister Nguyễn Minh Vũ and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba Gerardo Peñalver Portal, on behalf of the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs, signed the Political Consultation Plan for the 2026-2028 period between the two ministries of Foreign Affairs. VNS