During a meeting with First Secretary, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez on 1/9, General Secretary To Lam announced the initial results of a 65-day nationwide support program themed "65 Years of Vietnam-Cuba Solidarity." The program attracted nearly 2 million participants and raised nearly 400 billion Vietnamese dong (approximately 16 million USD). This demonstrates the strong bond and cooperation between the parties, states, and people of the two nations.

The two leaders then witnessed the first installment of the 16 million USD donation to Cuba. They also oversaw the handover of the minutes from the 42nd meeting of the two countries' Intergovernmental Committee, along with cooperative agreements in food production, healthcare, archiving, and biotechnology.

General Secretary To Lam and First Secretary, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez witness the first installment of the 16 million USD donation to Cuba. Photo: Giang Huy

General Secretary To Lam and First Secretary, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez witness the first installment of the 16 million USD donation to Cuba. Photo: Giang Huy

Mr. Diaz-Canel expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome from the Vietnamese people during his visit and for the substantial support from the recent fundraising campaign.

The Cuban First Secretary and President affirmed that Vietnam's achievements in 80 years of nation-building and defense serve as a significant source of encouragement and inspiration for the Cuban people today.

General Secretary To Lam emphasized that the Vietnamese Party, State, and people always consider "Solidarity and support for Cuba as the conscience and responsibility of communists and all Vietnamese people."

General Secretary To Lam and First Secretary, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez during their meeting on 1/9. Photo: Giang Huy

General Secretary To Lam and First Secretary, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez during their meeting on 1/9. Photo: Giang Huy

The two leaders agreed to strengthen and deepen economic, trade, and investment cooperation, particularly in strategic areas agreed upon by high-ranking officials, including agriculture, solar energy, and biotechnology-pharmaceuticals.

Cuba affirmed it would facilitate Vietnamese businesses operating and investing in Cuba to create a breakthrough in bilateral cooperation, especially in rice production and developing new agricultural models to help Cuba increase domestic food production. This will contribute to ensuring food security, a key element for Cuba's sustainable development in the current context.

Both sides agreed to encourage and facilitate the establishment of joint ventures in pharmaceutical production, technology transfer of biological products and pharmaceuticals from Cuba, and promote research and development of high-tech biological products and pharmaceuticals in Vietnam to provide safe and effective healthcare products.

The leaders also agreed to continue focusing on promoting cooperation in areas of strength and mutual interest, including: defense, security, justice, science and technology, construction, culture, sports, and people-to-people exchanges.

First Secretary, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez is on a state visit to Vietnam that began on 31/8. Tomorrow, he will attend the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and Vietnam's National Day.

Ngoc Anh