Việt Nam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn  (L) and Cuba’s First Deputy Foreign Minister  Marcelino Medina González meets in Cuba to conduct the fifth political consultation. — VNA/VNS Photo Lê Hà

HAVANA — Việt Nam’s Deputy Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn conducted the fifth political consultation with Cuba’s First Deputy Foreign Minister  Marcelino Medina González as part of his official visit to Cuba on September 19-21.

During his stay in Cuba, Sơn met with Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla and Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz.
At the meetings, the two sides expressed their pleasure at the growing traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and Cuba in all fields such as politics, economy-trade, security-defence, agriculture, construction, education, health care, biotechnology, transportation and sports.
Việt Nam and Cuba have maintained the exchange of high-level delegations, especially after the historic visit to Cuba by Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng in March 2018 and the visit to Vietnam by President of the State Council and Council of Ministers of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez in November 2018.
The bilateral economic, trade and investment relations continue growing with two-way trade increasing 25 per cent year-on-year to reach US$335.8 million in 2018.
The Việt Nam-Cuba intergovernmental committee organised the 37th session in Hà Nội on September 10-12, 2019 with good outcomes, contributing to promoting the bilateral cooperation in numerous fields.
Việt Nam and Cuba have also maintained close coordination and mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums, especially at the United Nations.
The two countries agreed to strengthen their special traditional relations as well as reinforce ties between the two foreign ministries, particularly in arranging and preparing for high-level visits, organising political, economic, cultural and friendship activities, and promoting people-to-people exchanges in 2020 in celebration of the 60th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties.
They pledged to continue implementing effectively cooperation mechanisms such as the theoretical workshop between the two communist parties, the intergovernmental committee, political consultations between the foreign ministries, dialogues between the defence ministries, and the Việt Nam-Cuba business council.
The two foreign ministries affirmed that they will coordinate with relevant ministries and departments to enhance economic, trade and investment cooperation, as well as facilitate investment in the fields of their strengths such as construction material, consumer goods, tourism-hotel, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals in order to bring two-way trade to $500 million by 2022.
They also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concerns, including the situation in the East Sea. — VNS