Vietnam, Cuba committed to taking bilateral relations to new height

Vietnam and Cuba have issued a Joint Declaration to strengthen traditional solidarity, special friendship, and comprehensive cooperation in a new era.

Party Chief and State President To Lam and Cuba's First Secretary and President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez. Source: VNA

General Secretary and President To Lam and Cuba's First Secretary and President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez reaffirmed the special friendship, cooperation, and traditional solidarity between the two nations, recognizing it as a symbol of the era and a priceless legacy. They emphasized their commitment to carrying forward and promoting the heritage left by President Ho Chi Minh and Cuba's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.

Both sides expressed their determination to elevate their unique relationship to new heights, ensuring comprehensive, substantive, effective, and sustainable development.

The highest leaders of both countries agreed to continue close cooperation in defense, security, and foreign affairs, emphasizing the importance and effectiveness of existing mechanisms, including political consultations between their foreign ministries, defense policy dialogues between Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense and Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces, and cooperation between Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security and Cuba’s Ministry of the Interior.

Both countries pledged to deepen and strengthen bilateral economic, trade, and investment cooperation. The leaders urged relevant agencies in both nations to work closely to resolve challenges and obstacles, leveraging the Vietnam-Cuba Trade Agreement to boost trade volume and diversify bilateral trade.

Cuba committed to supporting and facilitating the presence and participation of Vietnamese enterprises and projects in Cuba's economic and social development efforts.

Cuba expressed gratitude for Vietnam’s support in the field of food security. Both sides reviewed and assessed the effectiveness of recent agricultural cooperation projects, agreeing to explore new models of agricultural collaboration to help Cuba increase its production capacity and self-sufficiency.

On international matters, both countries emphasized their shared perspectives on global issues of common concern. They agreed that international disputes should be resolved peacefully, with respect to international law and the United Nations Charter.

Both sides affirmed that relations between nations should be built on mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, equality, the right of peoples to self-determination, and the fundamental principles of international law, including respect for each other's territorial integrity and non-interference in domestic affairs.

The two leaders reaffirmed the inviolable right of every country to pursue development equally, in line with its national conditions, without external discrimination or interference. They also highlighted the need for responsible use of information technology, communications, the Internet of Things, and especially artificial intelligence and social media, to promote development, well-being, harmony, peace, and knowledge.

Vietnam reiterated its unwavering support for the just cause of the Cuban people, calling for the immediate and unconditional lifting of unilateral, unjust economic, trade, and financial sanctions against Cuba, and urged for the removal of Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Vietnam also supports efforts to improve US-Cuba relations and expand bilateral cooperation on issues of mutual concern, based on equality, respect for independence, sovereignty, and the political systems of both nations.