Vietnamese President arrives in Havana, beginning official friendly visit to Cuba

President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and a high-ranking delegation from Việt Nam arrived in Havana on September 18 morning (local time), beginning a three-day official visit to Cuba at the invitation of First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz Canel.

The Vietnamese President was welcomed at Havana Jose Marti International Airport by Politburo member, Vice President of Cuba Salvador Valdés Mesa and officials of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Lê Thanh Tùng, the embassy’s staff and representatives of the Vietnamese community working, living and studying in the country.

Việt Nam and Cuba established diplomatic relations in 1960. Cuba always took the lead in supporting Việt Nam’s resistance war to regain national independence and reunification.

President Phúc’s visit to Cuba reflected Việt Nam’s policy of promoting relations with priority partners and traditional friends. It is an opportunity for Việt Nam to affirm its solidarity and strong support for Cuba in a challenging period, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đặng Hoàng Giang had said.

It is the first visit to Cuba by a senior leader of the Vietnamese Party and State after the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

President Phúc is also the first foreign head of state to visit Cuba after the Caribbean country successfully organised the 8th National Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba.

Over the past years, the Vietnamese Party, State and people have actively supported Cuba in food issues. In return, top leaders of Cuba directly instructed the early supply of COVID-19 vaccine and technology transfer to Việt Nam when the Southeast Asian country proposed.

During the visit, Vietnamese and Cuban leaders will discuss to further close coordination and concretise important collaboration areas between the two nations, and to deepen their solidarity in the new period.

President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc is scheduled to hold talks with First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz Canel; and meet with Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, and President of the National Assembly of the People’s Power and President of the Council of State Esteban Lazo Hernández.