National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and his Cuban counterpart Esteban Lazo Hernández co-chair the second meeting of Việt Nam–Cuba Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Phạm Kiên

HÀ NỘI — The second meeting of the Việt Nam-Cuba Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee took place on Wednesday morning in Hà Nội, co-chaired by National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn and Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly of People’s Power and President of the Council of State of Cuba.

This event is part of the top Cuban legislator’s state visit to Việt Nam from September 30 to October 5.

Addressing the meeting, NA Chairman Mẫn said that over the past 65 years, ties between Việt Nam and Cuba have seen continuous progress and become increasingly robust on the foundation of sincere cross-border solidarity.

As representatives of the people’s will and aspirations, the national assemblies of both countries play an important role in this process. Through legislative work, they have fostered a favourable environment for substantial, effective and sustainable cooperation that serves the practical interests of Cuban and Vietnamese people, and contributes to the solidarity between the two nations.

The Vietnamese NA chairman noted that the role of legislative bodies has become more critical than ever amid a complex global situation and challenges.

Strengthening parliamentary cooperation not only bolsters a solid political-diplomatic foundation for the two countries, but also enhances different aspects of bilateral ties such as economy, education, healthcare, biotechnology, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

Following the first meeting of the Việt Nam–Cuba Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee in Havana in 2024, this meeting represents the strong political commitment of both the Vietnamese and Cuban national assemblies in deepening bilateral ties.

This is also the occasion for the two legislative bodies to share experiences in law-building and review their cooperation activities, particularly after the State visit to Cuba by Party General Secretary Tô Lâm in September 2024.

Topics of discussion included diversifying forms of cooperation between the two assemblies, and training personnel to make way for reform aligning with the context of each country. These are especially important in areas such as governance, foreign investment and business model development, as well as in enhancing legal capacity and strengthening support for Cuba in multilateral forums.

Sharing the same viewpoint, Cuba’s top legislator Hernández said that this meeting demonstrates the will of both legislative bodies to contribute to the long-standing relations between Việt Nam and Cuba, which share the common goal of socialism and sustainable development.

He also noted that this event would allow both sides to coordinate and monitor joint efforts to expand investment and cooperation in priority areas, focusing on necessary policies that facilitate trade and cooperation between Việt Nam and Cuba.

Cuba values the participation of Vietnamese businesses in updating its economic model, said Hernández. Việt Nam is currently the largest Asian investor in Cuba, with a growing presence in the Mariel Special Economic Zone where there are ten Vietnamese investment projects.

He also acknowledged Việt Nam’s valuable support to the Cuban people, which is crucial for economic stability and development of the Latin American country.

In addition to trade relations, Việt Nam and Cuba are expected to boost locality-to-locality cooperation to support each other in socio-economic growth.

While continuing effective cooperation agreements, both sides will also establish timelines for completion of unfinished tasks in their bilateral agenda.

The Vietnamese and Cuban national assemblies planned to enhance exchanges among their friendship groups, legislative committees, and strengthen collaboration on human resources training between the two parliamentary offices.

During the meeting, delegates considered measures to promote business by enhancing rice, corn and animal feed production in Cuba with advanced science-technology application.

They also discussed experiences in biotechnology for research, production and trade of pharmaceuticals, the role of regulatory agencies in signing healthcare supply contracts, and other forms of cooperation in healthcare and biotechnology.

Concluding the meeting, both sides issued a joint statement recognising the results of the discussions. The third meeting of the Việt Nam–Cuba Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Committee will be held in Havana. — VNS