The Party, State and people of Vietnam will do their utmost to foster the traditional relationship and comprehensive cooperation with their Cuban counterparts to new heights.

Receiving Cuban ambassadorLianys Torres Rivera, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R)
affirms Vietnam's desire to assist Cuba to overcome difficulties caused by the embargo
and the COVID-19 epidemic

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc was speaking at a reception given to Cuban ambassador to Vietnam Lianys Torres Rivera in Hanoi on April 17.

He said Vietnam is grateful to the Party, State and people of Cuba for their solidarity and valuable support for Vietnam’s cause of national liberation in the past, as well as its revolution in general. 

Sharing difficulties Cuba has encountered due to the embargo and the COVID-19 epidemic, PM Phuc expressed Vietnam’s desire to increase cooperation between the two countries, contributing to promoting economic development of both sides.

He informed his guest that since the beginning of April, the Ministry of Defence of Vietnam and its Cuban counterpart have regularly held online discussions at all levels to share experience in COVID-19 prevention and control. The Minister of Construction of Vietnam on April 17 also presented gifts of the Party, State and people of Vietnam to Cuban people. 

For her part, ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera thanked Vietnam for providing its assistance, including its recent shipments of 5,000 tonnes of rice, to Cuba, considering this a significant gift to the Cuban people in the context of the Latin American nation suffering from negative effects of the US embargo and the COVID-19 epidemic.  

She congratulated Vietnam’s initial success in the battle against the coronavirus and said Cuba is ready to cooperate with Vietnam in manufacturing COVID-19 medicine, as well as other pharmaceuticals.

According to the ambassador, the Cuban leaders are looking forwards to welcoming the Vietnamese leaders in their upcoming visits, to hammer out measures for stronger bilateral cooperation in various areas, including health care and agriculture. 

PM Phuc voiced Vietnam’s consistent stance of condemning the embargo imposed on Cuba and expressed his belief the Cuban people will soon overcome difficulties to develop the national economy.