Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh welcomes Sen. Lt. Gen. Álvaro López Miera. VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI – The third Việt Nam-Cuba defence dialogue was held in Hà Nội on September 17.

The event was co-chaired by Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyễn Chí Vịnh, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence, and Sen. Lieut. Gen. Alvaro Lopez Miera, Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Minister of the Cuban Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Vịnh welcomed the Cuban delegation’s visit to Việt Nam and attendance at the dialogue, saying that the trip continues affirming the determination of both sides in implementing co-operation agreements reached by their senior Party, State and army leaders, thus enhancing the efficiency of the bilateral defence partnership.

At the dialogue, the two sides discussed the situation in each country as well as in the region and the world, and evaluated the implementation of defence co-operation contents between the two countries since the previous dialogue.

They also sought orientations to promote the bilateral partnership in the future, and discussed the compiling of a dossier on 60 years of history of the Viet Nam-Cuba defence co-operation (1960-2020).

Both sides agreed to continue effectively realising the defence co-operation plan for the 2017-2019 period and develop a new plan for the 2020-2022 period.

They concurred to increase the exchange of delegations. Việt Nam hopes to welcome Minister of the Cuban Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces to visit the country and sign the co-operation plan for the 2020-2022 period.

Leaders of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence have also planned to visit Cuba to announce a book and a film on the 60-year history of the Việt Nam-Cuba defence partnership and attend a meeting to mark the occasion.

Vịnh affirmed that Việt Nam would send experts to Cuba or invite experts from Cuba to Việt Nam to exchange experience in acupuncture and treatment of back and muscle pain.

On cybersecurity, Việt Nam is willing to share with Cuba its experience in coping with threats in cyberspace as well as in building and developing infrastructure for IT, and solutions and tools to protect network safety.

Việt Nam would help Cuba train experts in this field as well as in defence industry, cybersecurity and telecommunications, he said.

Regarding the dossier on the 60-year history of the Việt Nam-Cuba defence partnership, including a book and a documentary film, the two sides agreed that this would be an important joint political task.

The dossier is expected to help popularise the bilateral friendship among people and armies of both sides, especially the youth.

They pledged to complete the dossier in 2020 on the occasion of the 60th founding anniversary of Việt Nam-Cuba diplomatic relations.—VNS