The meeting was held in Hanoi on 27th August. Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van and Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba Déborah Rivas Saavedra chaired the meeting.
The session would review cooperation outcomes in various fields under the minutes of the 41st meeting, while setting out the framework for cooperation in 2025-2026. It will also promote major programmes, projects and activities, thereby contributing to strengthening the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cuba.
Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van delivered the opening speech of the meeting.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, on behalf of the Vietnam Subcommittee of the Vietnam - Cuba Intergovernmental Committee, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van said, the 42nd session was held in a meaningful context, when the two countries jointly organized many practical activities to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam - Cuba diplomatic relations (December 2, 1960 - December 2, 2025). The traditional solidarity, special friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations, which were carefully cultivated by President Ho Chi Minh and Leader Fidel Castro, have been constantly consolidated and developed. The two sides maintain regular exchanged of delegations and high-level contacts.
Van added, the State visit to Cuba by General Secretary and President To Lam in September 2024 marked a historic milestone in Vietnam-Cuba relations. In particular, Vietnam is preparing to welcome the State visit to Vietnam by First Secretary and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel to attend the 80th Anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from August 31, 2025 to September 2, 2025. This will certainly be a major event, bringing the relationship between the two countries to a new height.
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The 42nd meeting of the Vietnam - Cuba Intergovernmental Committee was held in Hanoi.
At the opening session, the Deputy Minister also informed the Cuban side about several major guidelines, policies, and the socio-economic development situation of Vietnam.
Accordingly, in recent times, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam has issued many historic decisions to create institutional breakthroughs, effectively streamlining the organizational structure at both central and local levels.
At the same time, Vietnam is vigorously implementing four key resolutions of the Politburo – the "four strategic pillars" – on science and technological breakthroughs, innovation, national digital transformation, international integration, policy-making and legal implementation, and the development of the private economy. These efforts aim to create a solid foundation for achieving GDP growth of 8% or more in 2025 and reaching double-digit growth during the 2026–2030 period.
Regarding cooperation within the framework of the Vietnam–Cuba Intergovernmental Committee, the Deputy Minister stated that since the 41st meeting, despite facing numerous difficulties and challenges stemming from the international context as well as each country's own circumstances, both sides have closely coordinated in implementing the agreements and have achieved many positive results.
Deputy Minister Văn proposed that the 42nd meeting would be a session of determination and action. He urged both sides to engage in frank and substantive discussions to jointly resolve existing obstacles, while also agreeing on new directions and areas of cooperation for the 2025–2026 period.
Expressing her honor to return to Vietnam and discuss the draft Minutes of the 42nd Session, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment of Cuba Déborah Rivas Saavedra said the visit and working session took place within the framework of the official visit by First Secretary and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz Canel, to attend the Ceremony to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from August 31, 2025 to September 2, 2025 and the two countries organized activities to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Cuba (December 2, 1960 - December 2, 2025).
Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Déborah affirmed the special significance of the 42nd Session.
Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Déborah Rivas Saavedra expressed her gratitude for Vietnam’s campaign to support the Cuban people, themed “65 Years of Vietnam–Cuba Solidarity,” which was launched on August 13 - the 99th anniversary of Cuban leader Fidel Castro’s birth and achieved significant results in a short period of time.
The Deputy Minister also expressed her gratitude for the support and assistance from the Party, Government, and people of Vietnam over the past period, particularly highlighting the rice aid project with a total volume of 11,500 tons and the upcoming solar power project to be implemented by Viettel Group.
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Delegates attending the opening session of the 42nd Meeting of the Vietnam - Cuba Intergovernmental Committee.
Regarding bilateral cooperation, Deputy Minister Déborah Rivas Saavedra affirmed the facilitation mechanisms provided by the Cuban Government for Vietnamese enterprises, especially the solutions aimed at removing obstacles affecting economic and trade cooperation. She also agreed with the Vietnamese side on the achievements in bilateral cooperation across various sectors in recent times, and emphasized that, in addition to traditional areas of cooperation, other sectors such as veterinary medicine, renewable energy, oil and gas, industry, transportation, and tourism hold great potential for development and expanded collaboration.